Guardians for a Family
by HotTopicLuver
Summary: Jack is just a baby who had to be given up by his mother, now the Man in the Moon has taken a sudden interest in the child. He decides that Jack will be raised by the Guardians and will one day become a Guardian himself. Join North, Bunny, Tooth and Sandy as they raise and teach Jack all that they know while protecting him from Pitch Black.
1. Chapter 1

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 1**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Chosen_

It's not every day that the Man in the Moon chooses a Guardian… but today was a very special case. For he had chosen the next person who would carry the responsibility of protecting children and the world from the clutches of evil… from Pitch Black. However, this Guardian would be different from the others. The reason for that being he was just a baby at the moment. That's right the newest Guardian was just a baby.

The Man in the Moon watched as the new mother placed her sleeping child on the frozen brush next to the ice covered lake. She had been forced to give up her baby… for she had fallen in love with another man during her marriage. The baby was the result of that love and now she had to pay for her crimes against her husband. Her father and husband had forbidden her to keep the baby and the child's father had drown in the very lake that she stood next to so she couldn't give her baby to him. Her father and husband had both agreed that the place was very fitting to leave the child at. The child was next to his father's grave. The mother couldn't have been more heartbroken at this decision but she knew that if she went against their wishes the child would have been killed as soon as he was born. She hoped and prayed that maybe her baby could have a better chance at surviving out here rather than in the small village.

She placed a small necklace around the baby's neck before kissing his forehead. The necklace had a small snowflake charm attached to it and in the middle of the snowflake was a blue rock. She let a few tears fall onto the necklace. It was the last gift her true beloved had given to her well maybe not the last gift. He had also given her the child that laid before her. Unfortunately she had to say goodbye to both on the same day.

"Goodbye my child… my son… I want you to know that your mother loves very dearly," the woman said then she bowed down in the snow. "Please, let this child live… he hasn't done anything wrong… please have mercy on this child."

More tears fell onto the snow and with another kiss to the baby's forehead she turned around back to the village. She gave her son one last look and whispered the name she had chosen for him… the name that no one but her knew.

"Goodbye Jack…"

She left. Just then the baby awoke from his slumber to find that his mother was gone… he turned his small head in every direction hoping to find her. She wasn't there. He started to become fussy and cried, his small body moving in the blanket made of fur.

The Man in the Moon couldn't help but feel sorrowful at the event he had just witnessed. He saw the deep love the woman had for the baby but she had to make a great sacrifice in order to protect him from the wrath of the village. He watched as the brown haired and brown eyed child squirm some more, the baby was missing his mother obviously. Just by watch the Man in the Moon had learned all that he could about the woman's past… he learned about the child's origins and about the cruelty her father and husband possessed.

" _You want this child to live dear woman… you love him and yet you had to say goodbye… then I shall grant you your wish."_

With a snap of his fingers he created wolf like creatures made of clouds, he knew just the place where the child would be safe from harm's way and have a family to call his own. He would be raised by the Guardians and learn from them.

" _Take the child to North's workshop and I shall summon all of the Guardians to gather there."_

The cloud wolves bowed down to their creator and traveled through the air to their destination. To the small village known as Burgess. They landed gently on the snow covered ground and walked up to the squirming baby. The baby wailed loudly before he stopped once he saw the cloud wolves approaching him. His curious mind getting the best of him as the surrounded him, he stared up at them with wide eyes. He had never seen such creatures like these before. It wasn't long before he started to giggle and wave his arms to them. One of the cloud wolves picked up the child while the others looked around the area for any sign of movement. Once it was clear they leaped back into the air and began to travel to North's workshop. The baby continued to giggle as he was taken on this journey… little did he know the kind of life that waited for him.

The Man in the Moon smiled at the scene before him and turned around to concentrate. He focused on calling the other Guardians to the North Pole.

Bunnymund at his Warren.

Tooth at her Palace.

Sandman at his Island.

" _Guardians report to North's workshop immediately."_

Now it was North's turn, he had to aware of the guests he was expecting.

" _North the Guardians are heading to your workshop, there's something important we need to discuss. Report to the Globe Room."_

Once he was done he let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention towards his servants and the baby they held.

" _So your name is Jack young one. It suits you very well… and soon you shall be known as something else."_

He already thought about the child's position amongst the Guardians, he would serve to the pillar that kept them together as a family. He should be their door to the new world of believers. It will take time but he was sure that the child would gain believers himself. However, while the baby would become an immortal he will still age until he reaches the physical age of sixteen. Not only that but he wouldn't become a Guardian just yet. First he had to learn and then when the time was right he would become one himself. The Man in the Moon couldn't wait for that day but until then he would just be a child and enjoy the wonders of being one.

The cloud wolves made their way onto another land and wandered through the snow searching for the workshop. Once they saw the lights emitting from a certain area they ran towards it. During the trip the baby fell asleep again, his soft breathing filling the cold air as he was taken to his new home. Once the cloud wolves stood in front of the door to North's workshop they knocked.

A yeti by the name Phil answered and his expression became filled with shock as he saw the guests. Speaking in gibberish he welcomed them in along with the bundle they carried, he escorted them to the Globe Room where the Guardians were already assembled. The cloud wolves walked into the Globe Room and were greeted by the presences of the four Guardians.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 2**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _A New Guardian and a New Family_

The four Guardians stood in the middle of the Globe Room; each one of them had been alerted by the Man in the Moon. North. Bunny. Tooth. Sandy. They had no choice but to drop everything they were doing and head to North's workshop. It came as shock to them since the Man in the Moon only called for them if there was an emergency or any other important news.

"Would anyone care for cookies or hot chocolate while we wait for Man in Moon?" North asked as he helped himself to a tray of sweets.

A shape of a cup of hot chocolate appeared over Sandy's head and the spirit nodded his nodded. Without a second to spare an elf rushed over to his side while carrying a tray with a cup of the hot drink. Sandy accepted it then turned his attention to the others, shapes of a question mark, the Guardian's figures and a moon appeared.

"Good question Sandy," North said. "Man in Moon not say specifically why we here. But if he himself summoned us it must be important."

"He better make it fast, I need to return to my duties," Bunny added as he continued to paint the egg he held in his hand.

"Relax Bunny," North stated as he took the egg from his hand. "Easter three months away."

Bunny looked at the Guardian of Wonder with an annoyed expression before taking back the delicate object. He shook his head and went back to his work.

"And there is still so much to get done," Bunny added.

"I wonder what important news he has to tell us," Tooth wondered while her mini fairies buzzed around her. "Do you think… it's Pitch?"

The sound of that name made the Guardians shudder; it had been a while since they had crossed paths with the Boogeyman. When he wasn't traveling in the outside world he was cooped up in his lair plotting against the children and Guardians. They couldn't afford to let the Boogeyman corrupt the world with his nightmares and darkness.

"Maybe so," North said. "But belly does not get feeling."

"Yes and we all know how we can rely on that old nonsense ya keep sprouting out mate," Bunny replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Belly never wrong my fine rabbit friend," North added.

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night North."

Tooth and Sandy chuckled a little at the sight of their allies bickering; it was the usual these days. If it wasn't this the two would be arguing over whose holidays were more important. It presented a lot of entertaining moments for the other two Guardians though.

Suddenly several yetis made themselves known to the Guardians, Phil cleared his throat as a way of telling them that they had guests. The old jolly spirit gave the yeti a puzzled look since he wasn't expecting any guests at this time. The yetis moved out of the way and that's when the Guardians eyes widen at the sight of the cloud wolves. They knew that there was only person who could make such creations: the Man in the Moon.

"Crikey," Bunny whispered.

The spirit of Easter stopped painting the egg and Sandy stopped drinking his hot chocolate. North quickly dismissed the elves and yetis, they complied and left the room. It was just the Guardians and the cloud wolves now.

"Man in Moon sent you?" North questioned although he already knew the answer.

The wolves simply nodded their heads and walked closer to the four spirits. That's when they saw that one of the cloud wolves was carrying a bundle in his mouth.

"What is that?" Tooth asked quietly.

The cloud wolf placed the bundle on the floor in the middle of the room and nudged it slightly. That's when the bundle started to move. Another question mark appeared over the Sandman's head as he pointed to the bundle.

"Indeed Sandy," North said. "Is very puzzling."

North took careful steps to the small bundle while it moved a little more. He placed his large hand gently on it and removed some of the blanket covering it. When he was done he let out a small gasp.

"What?" Bunny asked. "What is it mate?"

"North…" Tooth called out.

The mini fairies held their small hands close to their chests; they had looks of worry on their faces as they flew close to their mother. Sandy's confusion was shown as a multitude of shapes began to quickly play over him. Without hesitation North took the bundle in his arms.

"A baby," North stated as he turned around to face the other Guardians. "Look."

The Guardians let out a series of gasps, there in North's arms was a baby with brown hair and around his neck was necklace that held a snowflake charm with a small blue stone. The baby's eyes were still closed but they fluttered a little, they could see that his eyes were the same brown color as his hair.

"It is a baby!" Tooth exclaimed. "Look how cute he is."

The mini fairies started to coo and squeal at the sight of the adorable baby. Their hands were now on their faces as they gushed at the little boy.

"What's a baby got to do with this though?" Bunny questioned.

Sandy nodded his head at that statement showing that he would like to know the answer to that question too.

"Don't know," North responded. "Cute little fella though."

Moonbeams entered the room and cloud wolves bowed down before taking their leave. They had accomplished what they had set out to do; now it was their creator's turn to take care of the rest. The Guardians watched as the cloud wolves disappeared and they turned their attention to the source of the moonbeams.

"Man in Moon," North greeted. "It's been a long time old friend. Please do tell us what is big news and is tiny baby here."

The Man in the Moon didn't answer at first for he felt it would be better to show them before explaining it. His moonbeams made their way to the infant, the Guardians gazes followed as well. The Man in the Moon allowed his power to flow through the moonbeams as they hit the baby. Suddenly the baby's hair turned white, his eyes opened with reveal a blue color and skin became a pale color. The Guardians gasped at they were witnessing while the baby perked up at his sudden transformation. The moonbeams soon disappeared and the Guardians just stood there in aw over what just happened. They couldn't believe that the Man in the Moon had just made this child a spirit.

" _His name is Jack… Jack Frost"_

"Jack Frost…" Tooth repeated.

"The name suits the little ankle biter, well at least now it does," Bunny added.

The other Guardians simply nodded their heads at Bunny's statement. Jack began to look around at the strange setting he was now in. He saw that these people didn't look like his mother or human for the most part. He felt the large arm he was in and wondered where the cloud wolves from earlier went. He was getting scared now, tears filled his blue eyes.

Tooth saw this and immediately scooped the baby in her arms. She held him close to her so that they were making eye contact with each other. She had a gentle and warm smile on her face.

"Don't cry Sweet Tooth," the Tooth Fairy cooed. "You're safe with us, we protect children not harm them."

Jack sniffled a little before looking around again; he saw that the people around him did not look threatening anymore. The mini fairies leaned closer to him; they began to place gentle kisses on his face and ran their tiny hands through his now white hair. Jack let out a cute giggle.

"There we go, that's better," Tooth said as she kissed his forehead.

North chuckled at Tooth's actions but at least she kept Jack from crying. The other three Guardians faced the moon; they were waiting for an explanation on why the baby was here. The Man in the Moon was happy to give them answers.

" _As you have seen I have chosen this young child to be a spirit but that's not all he is supposed to be."_

"What do ya man by that mate?"

" _Everyone say hello to the newest addition to your team. Jack Frost… the next Guardian."_

"What!" North and Bunny exclaimed in unison.

A big exclamation point appeared on Sandy's head.

"Shhhh!" Tooth exclaimed. "You'll scare little Jack."

While Tooth heard what the Man in the Moon said she was too preoccupied with the baby. North and Bunny covered their mouths as a result.

"Sorry," North and Bunny whispered in unison.

Sandy bowed his head down in apology and Tooth accepted all of their apologies before bouncing the baby. Jack giggled some more and the mini fairies took his small hands into theirs.

"Man in Moon did we hear correctly? This baby is Guardian?" North questioned.

" _Yes North, you heard me correctly. Jack will age until he is sixteen years old and when the time is right he will become a Guardian._ "

"Wait, wait. Do ya mean to us that this ankle biter will age even though he's now an immortal?" Bunny asked.

" _That is correct Bunnymund. Even if he is immortal he will age, after that he will stay that way. I leave him in your care since the child has no other family members to nurture him. You all will be responsible for teaching him all about the Guardians along with the other spirits that roam this world. You will protect him just as you protect yourselves."_

"The boy… has no other family?" North said with a puzzled expression.

" _Unfortunately no. The child is the result of an affair between a married woman and another man, his father drowned in a lake next to a village known as Burgess and his mother was force to give him up due to the child not being her husband's. The only thing that she left with him is the necklace you see around his neck… the proof of the deep love she has for him along with the broken heart she now carries."_

"That poor woman," North commented.

"Crikey… I can't believe people are that cruel hearted, forcing someone to give up their love one," Bunny added.

Shapes of tears appeared over Sandy's head at this revelation and he placed his hands over his mouth to express his grief over the situation. Tooth gave a sad look to Jack before bringing him closer to her in order to cuddle him. The mini fairies were hugging the tiny infant as a way to comfort him. Jack didn't seem to mind the attention he was receiving.

" _Jack will be the pillar in your group; he will sustain the bond you all have as a family. He will do so many great things in the future, I just know it."_

"If you say so old friend, then I welcome child into Guardian group," North stated.

Sandy nodded his head with approval while showing images of the Guardians and Jack. He clapped his hands silently as well. Bunny crossed his arms, he wasn't so sure that this was a good idea. Especially since the Man in the Moon was counting on them to raise a child.

"Are you sure this is the right decision mate?" Bunny asked. "I mean… none of us have ever been in a situation like this before. There are so many things that could go wrong and worry about."

"But Bunny…" Tooth whined. "Look how cute he is!"

Tooth flew next to the tall rabbit and he made eye contact with the baby. Jack stared at the figure in front of him before holding his arms out to him. Bunny looked around him; he thought that the child was asking for someone else. He was shocked to see that it was him who he wanted. Tooth giggled and he quickly placed Jack in Bunny's arms before he had the chance to protest. Bunny panicked at first as he tried to steady the baby in his arms. Once Jack was in a comfortable position he yawned a little and he buried his head and tiny hands into Bunny's soft fur.

"Oh look at that," Tooth squealed along with her mini fairies.

Bunny just stared at the baby; he hesitantly started to caress his white hair along with his cheek. Once he saw that Jack was smiling he continued to do it.

"Alright I'll admit… he is kind of adorable," Bunny said blushing. "Maybe… it won't be so bad after all."

"That's the spirit Bunny!" North cheered.

The Man in the Moon couldn't have been happier at the moment; he saw how Jack was already working his way into each Guardian's heart.

"Don't worry old friend, we will take very good care of Jack," North stated with pride. "He is family and Guardian."

Tooth and Sandy clapped their hands harder along with the mini fairies, Bunny just turned to the moon with a small smile on his face.

" _Thank you everyone, as for his powers… he won't be able to use them use just yet. When he is two years old that's when they will be unleashed. It is your job to make sure he learns how to control them. Does everyone understand?"_

"Yes of course!" North answered.

"We understand," Tooth stated.

"Clear as spring," Bunny replied.

A thumbs up appeared over Sandy's head and he nodded his head.

" _Very good then. There will be many challenges you will all face while raising Jack and even he himself will be faced with difficult decisions. But as long as you all have each other everything will work out… trust me."_

The Guardians began to gather around Jack, who was still in Bunny's arms. They watched as the baby looked up at each of them and smiled. The Guardians smiled back at him as a result. The necklace around his neck seemed to glow.

" _Make sure you keep that necklace safe, it's his mother's love after all."_

"Of course we'll do that," Tooth responded.

" _Good, now if you'll excuse me there's something else I need to take care of but I will return soon."_

With that the Man in the Moon returned to Burgess while North took Jack into his arms.

"Welcome to the family little snowflake," North said.

Jack giggled and yawned as well, he was getting sleepy especially since he had been through so much in one day. Sandy took that as a sign to allow the child to go to sleep properly, once he was granted the Guardians approval he was given Jack. He gently placed little bits of sand over Jack's head; the baby's eyes closed and his breathing soften.

"Now that child is asleep we should do a little redecorating," North whispered. "I go tell yetis and elves to prepare a room."

With that North left the Globe Room with the rest of the Guardians following him. They had so much to prepare for their newest Guardian.

Meanwhile back in Burgess, the same woman was sitting on her porch in a rocking chair with a large blanket protecting her from the cold. Every once in again she would sigh and allow a few tears to escape her eyes. Next to her was a staff with a G-shaped arch, it looked similar to a shepherd's crook, she would often use it to help with the livestock that lived here. But right now she simply didn't have the heart to do anything anymore. Her beloved was dead and now her child was gone. She bowed her head in sorrow.

The Man in the Moon watched her and saw just how much her sacrifice was hurting her; he couldn't stand to see it. He came here to make sure she knew that her child was safe and that he would always have a part of with him along with his father. He took a handful of stars and blew onto them. They flew into several directions and he also summoned his cloud wolves to retrieve the staff. The cloud wolves traveled through the air and landed softly on the snow. They growled a little just to get her attention.

The woman looked up from her spot and gasped at the sight of the cloud wolves, she was frozen with fear at the moment. The cloud wolves walked to her and she gasped again but for some reason she didn't run even though she wanted to. The cloud wolves lowered their bodies a way of showing her they meant no harm. She watched as they took the staff next to her and nuzzled her hand. Another cloud wolf stared up at the sky, she wondered what they were looking at and found himself staring in that same direction. She gasped once again and tears traveled down her face.

The stars had spelled out Jack's name along with the snowflake charm next to it. Then the stars shifted to add the name Frost under Jack. The woman saw the amazing sight and when she turned to face the cloud wolves they were gone along with her staff. She looked back at the sky and saw the same thing still. A smile appeared on her face as tears continued to fall.

"Jack… my Jack… is named Jack Frost now," she whispered.

With no hesitation she ran toward the area where she left him only to discover that he was no longer there. She scanned the forest and there was no sign of him, then she saw the paw marks in the snow. They belonged to wolves but as soon as she saw them they disappeared just like the cloud wolves.

The Man in the Moon allowed for her to see all of this but only her. He saw the woman bow down into the snow.

"Thank you… whoever you are thank you… my son is alive and now has a new name… I believe… I believe it," she whispered. "Thank you…"

The woman wiped her eyes and returned to the village, she felt as if the world has been lifted off her shoulders. Her baby was safe, that's all that mattered to her right now.

With that the Man in the Moon returned to North's workshop, the cloud wolves followed him with the staff. He knew that her guilt was gone and that she didn't have to worry about her child being in danger anymore. For he had a new family. He had Guardians for a family.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 3**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of it characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _North_

Just as the Man in the Moon had said he returned to North's workshop and this time he returned with a prize for Jack. The staff that belonged to his mother. The Man in the Moon had told the Guardians that the staff would help Jack channel his powers by acting as a conduit. He also had given them an idea on what Jack's powers would relate to. Frost, snow, ice, wind. He was a winter spirit.

Once the Man in the Moon had left the Guardians discussed what days they each would take care of Jack. They decided that North would get the longest time with him since Jack was a winter spirit and would need to be around that environment for a longer time especially since he was so young at the moment. Bunny would care take of him next, then Tooth and then Sandy. North would have three weeks while the other Guardians would have two weeks. But North would have him for Christmas while Bunny would have him for Easter due to the fact that those were holidays and they wanted Jack to grow up like any other child. That included celebrating holiday with his new family.

Two weeks had passed since Jack's arrival. North took the liberty of designing four cradles for each Guardian to take for their realms; each design fitted the environments of the Guardians. Another thing North did was he kept Jack's snowflake necklace inside a small box in his office as a precaution so it wouldn't get lost, he also placed the staff in his office as well. All the Guardians designed play rooms for Jack along with an actual room. They did all that they could to make the infant as comfortable as possible.

Right now he was lying in his new cradle in North's office and playing with a mobile that North had created just for him. On the mobile there were shapes of a snowflake, a moon, a tooth, an egg, a sand castle and a snow globe. He giggled happily as he reached for the various shapes that floated above him. North smiled at the baby as he worked on new toy designs.

"This Christmas promises to be something special," North commented. "This year you'll be with us won't you Jack?"

Jack simply giggled as a response as he clutched his tiny hands into fists.

"That's the spirit!" North cheered.

Christmas was a long time away but North always liked to get a head start much like Bunny. It gave him the opportunity to work on new toys for the children around the world. He was also able to experiment with new designs. However, he wasn't the only Guardian who was excited for this year. Everyone else was excited for the same reason as North. This year Jack would be with them, they couldn't wait to spend it with him. Needless to say North was going to enjoy making toys for Jack, not that he hadn't made some for him already. The yetis and elves also took joy in the company of the little one.

"After toy is finished its feeding time Jack," North said.

Even though he was immortal now, the Guardians made sure to give Jack the proper nutrition he needed. Luckily reindeers weren't the only animals North kept in his workshop; he also kept several goats and donkeys.

"Alright Jack," North said as he stretched. "Time for you to eat."

North walked over to the cradle and picked up the snowy haired baby.

"Phil! Get milk!" North called out.

Without a moment to spare the yeti came in mumbling something in gibberish before handing North a bottle full of goat milk. Once Jack saw the milk he perked up and held his hands out to it, North chuckled as he took the milk. He brought the bottle to Jack and the baby immediately began to nurse it. North sat down on another chair and watched as the baby fed. He held the bottle so that it wouldn't fall or spill. With that Phil took his leave and closed the door behind him.

"Hungry little fella ain't you?" North asked playfully. "Drink up and grow big and strong."

As the baby feed North stared deep into his blue eyes, eyes that matched the sky. As a baby Jack's eyes were more open to the world than anyone else. He saw the wonder in everything from the simplest thing to the grandest. North couldn't have been anymore happier with that fact. Once Jack finished the milk and North placed the child over his shoulder to burp him. North heard a small burp come from the boy's mouth.

"Good boy. Time for nap now."

Jack yawned in response and North began to play a music box that he kept in his office, he discovered that it helped Jack get to sleep faster. He gently rocked the child back and forth as the lullaby played in the background. Jack placed his tiny fingers in his mouth as drifted to sleep, his blue eyes started to disappear under his eyelids. After several more minutes of being rocked North gently placed him back in the cradle and rocked the cradle a little before returning to his desk.

Suddenly a hole appeared in the middle of the floor and North immediately recognized it as one of Bunny's tunnels. The tall rabbit appeared with a frantic look on his face. North stood up.

"North!" Bunny exclaimed.

"Shhhh Bunny," North replied. "Jack sleeping."

Bunny realized that Jack's cradle was in the room with the sleeping bundle inside of it and made his voice quieter.

"Sorry but North this is important," Bunny whispered.

"What is it?"

"It's Pitch!" Bunny exclaimed.

"Bunny keep voice low- wait Pitch!"

"Shhhh North," Bunny said.

Bunny placed a finger over his lips and pointed to the sleeping infant.

"Oh right," North responded. "You said Pitch?"

"Yes, Pitch knows about Jack."

"What?" North questioned. "How?"

"Mate ya can't exactly keep a secret in our line of work or in the world of spirits in general," Bunny explained.

North brought his hand to his head and let out a sigh, he shook his head several times before sitting down. He knew Pitch was bound to find out about Jack sooner than later… but he was hoping it would be much later. Bunny was right about how difficult it could be to keep a secret in the world they live in, the Guardians could keep their mouths shut forever and Pitch would still find a way to expose their secrets. That was thanks to his fearlings.

"Jack is still so young," North commented. "If Pitch knows about him there's no telling what he would do."

"We all know that mate," Bunny agreed as he walked to the cradle.

He took a peek inside and saw the peaceful look on Jack's face as slept, Bunny let out a sigh of his own. He ruffled the little one's hair before taking his small hand into his.

"I was just scouting locations to hide the eggs for the Easter egg hunt when I came across several fearlings gossiping about the new arrival at the North Pole. Called him the 'Frost child.' That's how I knew they were talking about Jack," Bunny stated.

"Oh Bunny what are we going to do?" North asked.

"We keep that ratbag away from the little ankle biter that's what we do, nothing we haven't done before."

"I know but this is Jack, he's not like other children. He's special."

Bunny couldn't argue there, Jack wasn't like the other children they protected. Jack would have power and the status of a Guardian once the time was right. Pitch would definitely be interested in the child. Bunny shuddered at the thought of Jack being taken away by that Boogeyman. He clutched his hands into fists, he wouldn't let that happen! Either of the Guardians would.

"There is no need to worry North, as long as the children believe in us we have power and with that power we can protect Jack. We must see to it that Pitch never gets his hands on him."

"That goes without say Bunny."

Just then Phil came rushing back into the room, he panted a little before speaking his mind out. He pointed in the certain direction before making distraught gestures.

"What? Fearlings are in the Globe Room?" North questioned.

"So they actually came here… the audacity," Bunny replied clearly disgusted.

Both Guardians took out their weapons and ran into the Globe Room while Phil stayed with the sleeping baby. Once they were there they saw the shadowy figures terrorizing the yetis along with the elves. They wasted no time dispatching them and make sure no more appeared in its place. The yetis and elves scurried away from the area as the Guardians fought. Once they were sure they were gone that's when the voice could be heard.

"North… Bunnymund… long time no see."

The Guardians turned to the globe itself to see the dark figure standing on top of it with a smug look on his face.

"Pitch Black…" North and Bunny said in unison.

"Now, now is that any way to treat guests?" Pitch asked innocently.

"You're not guests, you're intruders!" Bunny shouted. "Ya aren't welcomed here or anywhere else for that matter!"

"Go plant some flowers Bunny, last time I checked this wasn't your realm," Pitch replied. "Anyway so much as I would love to I'm not here to make conversation with you."

"Then what are you here for?" North asked.

North was hoping that maybe Pitch wasn't going to say anything about Jack but he knew better than that.

"We know what I'm here for North," Pitch said as an evil smirk appeared on his face. "I'm here to see the newest Guardian… his name is Jack Frost I believe."

Bunny and North glared at the Boogeyman, Bunny threw his boomerangs at with only for Pitch to disappear. The Pooka catch his boomerangs as they traveled back to him and the two Guardians scanned the area for Pitch. He reappeared as their shadows.

"Why such hostility?" Pitch taunted.

North tried to hit the shadow with his swords only for Pitch to disappear again. He was nowhere to be found but his voice rang throughout the workshop.

"All I want to do is see him," Pitch said with a chuckle. "And maybe show him a little bit of nightmares."

"Pitch you creeper of the dark show yourself!" Bunny yelled.

"But where's the fun in that you overgrown cottontail?"

"Enough games Pitch!" North stated. "Leave here and forget about Jack!"

"And miss out on the opportunity to hurt you Guardians? Not a chance. You seem to be rather attached to this child… seeing him suffer would make you suffer."

Bunny clenched his teeth; he was growing frustrated while North was boiling with rage over the current situation they were in. The fact that Pitch was hiding himself made it worse.

"Well I think I'm done with this little encounter… I think I'll start searching for that cute little baby," Pitch said. "So long Guardians."

"Pitch! You stay away from him!" Bunny exclaimed.

Pitch didn't reply to Bunny's comment and they knew he had left the room. Deciding that he had enough North ran over to the control panel and turned the lever to activate the aurora lights. He was summoning the two other Guardians.

"We have to get to Jack before he does," North said.

"That's obvious mate, let's go."

However, just when they were about to go back to North's office more fearlings appeared and started to attack them. North and Bunny struggled against the minions but they knew that they couldn't afford to lose. They made their away out of the Globe Room with fearlings following them.

"Where's Tooth and Sandy when you need them?" North whispered.

"They'll be here," Bunny replied.

They unleashed their fury onto the fearlings and the shadowy figures evaporated into the air. They finally made it to North's office and what they saw frightened them. They saw Phil laying on the floor unconscious but clearly in pain. Pitch was hovering over the cradle; his hands were reaching inside it.

"What an adorable child," Pitch said. "It's hard to believe that this little baby will someday have all that power that the Man in the Moon promised him."

"Get away from him," Bunny stated as he took a step forward.

"I don't think you're in a position to make demands Bunny… especially when I could corrupt this child right now if I felt like it."

"You… sick monster…" North said.

"It's a talent North," Pitch replied. "This child could be of use to me if he were in my possession… in fact I think I'll do just-"

Pitch didn't have time to finish his sentence as a golden whip wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the cradle. North and Bunny looked behind them to see the two other Guardians along with some mini fairies with looks of determination on their faces. Pitch landed hardly on the ground before regaining his composure.

"Oh how disgustingly sweet… all the Guardians coming together to protect one baby," Pitch said.

"You stay away from that baby!" Tooth said.

Pitch stood up and summoned more fearlings to distract the Guardians; they attacked them while the Guardians fought against them. With that Pitch walked back to the cradle and look down into it again. He began to caress the baby's cheek and Jack stirred as a result.

"Wakey, wakey little Guardian," Pitch said.

Jack's eyes fluttered open and he came face to face with the Boogeyman himself. Jack flinched from the touch once he saw that the person wasn't someone he recognized. Even if he was a baby he could tell this person was bad. Tears filled his eyes and he began to cry.

"Poor little thing… maybe a nightmare will calm you down," Pitch stated.

Sandy heard Pitch's stamen and sand fumed from his ears, he summoned two whips this time and dispatched the fearlings before making his way to Pitch. He knocked the Boogeyman down and started to hit him with the whips. He glared at the dark force.

"Sandman why waste so much effort?" Pitch asked as he blocked an attack. "This child is nothing more than a mere weapon and you want to harness that weapon for yourselves."

Sandy shook his head and Tooth flew towards them once she was done fighting off her side of fearlings.

"That's not true! Jack is not a weapon!" Tooth exclaimed.

"She's right," North stated. "He's a part of this family."

"And that is why we won't let you touch him," Bunny added.

North immediately ran over to Pitch and head butted him. The attack knocked the wind out of Pitch as he landed on several of the toy ice sculptures North had worked on.

"Leave… now," Bunny growled.

Pitch glared at the Guardians and stood up, he knew when he had been defeated and today was one of those days. However, he would be back.

"Mark my words Guardians," Pitch said as he pointed to them. "You won't be able to protect that boy forever and when that happens I'll be there… to corrupt him!"

Pitch then pointed to the cradle, another evil smirk appeared.

"He will be mine!" Pitch shouted as darkness started to encase him.

"Oh no!" Tooth gasped.

Tooth rushed over to the crying baby and took him into her arms. She had a look of fear written on her face as she turned to see the disappearing Boogeyman, her hold on the baby tighten. The sound of Pitch's laughter echoed as he faded away with the darkness. The Guardians let out a sigh of relief that it was over… for now. Tooth turned her gaze by to Jack.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," Tooth soothed. "It's okay Jack… the bad man is gone… he's not going to hurt you."

The Tooth Fairy gently bounced the baby in her arms and Jack's sobs turned into sniffles as he felt the familiar pair of arms holding him. Once he stopped crying Tooth held him close to her, afraid that the monster would come and take her little Sweet Tooth away. North saw her fear and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Tooth, Jack is safe… that's all that matters," North reassured her.

"I know but what if he comes back," Tooth said. "He's just a baby North."

"And we'll be there when Pitch is," Bunny stated. "The little ankle biter belongs to us not with the likes of that ratbag."

Sandy nodded his head as he wiped away the tear stains on Jack's face. The mini fairies buzzed around the infant and nuzzled next to him. Jack giggled softly as did Tooth when she saw this. She could feel her fear and worry slowly melt away.

"That's right you belong to us… you're our family Jack… my Sweet Tooth."

Jack smiled at her as she leaned in to kiss his forehead; the rest of the Guardians nodded their heads in agreement. North turned his attention to the injured yeti on the floor.

"Phil," North addressed. "Thank you… you protected Jack."

Phil spoke in gibberish before smiling.

"Let's get ya to the infirmary now," Bunny added.

Bunny and North picked the yeti up and helped him walk to their destination, the Sandman and Tooth Fairy followed behind him. Tooth continued to hold Jack in her arms as the mini fairies flew beside her. The Guardians spent the rest of the day fixing up the workshop before returning to their realms, to which North was grateful for. That night North moved Jack's cradle into his room, he wasn't going to take a chance at letting anyone get to him. After feeding him and lulling him to sleep with the music box once again he placed the infant into his cradle. North took a moment to gaze at the peaceful of the sleeping baby. How small, fragile and defenseless he looked... how could Jack possibly defend himself from someone like Pitch Black at this time? He couldn't and it was for those very reasons why North felt protective of the small life before him. He would never allow someone as pure as Jack get into the evil clutches of the Boogeyman. Never!

North took one of Jack's small hands into his large ones, he noticed how different the two hands were. North's hands told a story... a story of a toy maker and a man whose eyes were filled with wonder. His center. The Guardian of Wonder couldn't help but think about what Jack's center would be when the time was right for him to become an official Guardian. One thing was for sure he would be there to help him figure it out.

"Goodnight Jack," North said as he gently stroked the hand of the infant. "Sweet dreams."

With that North placed Jack's hand back down into the cradle and walked to his bed. He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him along with Jack to a night filled with dreams. Sandman visited them that night and he made sure to let his dream sand flow to Jack; he gave the baby a good dream involving the Guardians protecting him. A small smile appeared on Jack's face as he dreamt of this. He was happy and with his family. No one would take him away from them. Ever.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 4**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **Hi everyone sorry for not updating sooner. *bows head in apology***

 **I want to thank you all for reading this fanfic.**

 _Bunny_

It seemed like the countdown to Easter was getting faster and faster now these days, right now the large Pooka with the title of the Easter Bunny was busy figuring new ways to design the eggs. He wanted to try out different coloring schemes along with pattern prints. However, that wasn't his only responsibility now… he was making sure that Jack was preoccupied at the moment.

Right now some of the eggs were keeping the baby entertained in his cradle, he infant giggled as the eggs traveled into his tiny hands. Jack would gaze that the little forms that he held, admiring how smooth and docile they were. Luckily Jack wasn't strong enough yet to break them so that made Bunny more comfortable with leaving them to watch him. However, the little eggs weren't the only ones keeping an eye on Jack… the Warrior Eggs that surrounded the Warren were also acting as Bunny's eyes. Ever since Pitch's appearance at the North Pole none of the Guardians were taking any chances of leaving Jack alone and were making sure extra precautions were made to their realms.

Bunny took a break from designing and turned around to face Jack's cradle. He looked inside to see the eggs nuzzling Jack's face making the baby giggle some more. Bunny smiled a little and gently took the eggs off of Jack. Once they were back on the ground Bunny motioned for them to go get decorated, the eggs wasted no time and traveled to the colorful patches of flowers. Meanwhile Bunny took Jack into his arms.

"Hey there ya little ankle biter," Bunny greeted. "What to see how Easter eggs are made?"

The baby cooed in response, Bunny took that as a sign of approval and began to walk to the flowers. He bent down next to them in order for Jack to get a better look. The little baby watched quietly and curiously as different colors of dye coated the walking eggs.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Bunny asked.

Jack clapped his hands as the eggs moved on from the flowers to the streams of paint. Bunny followed the freshly colored eggs with the infant still in his arms. They watched as the eggs jump into the paint and swim to the other side, the eggs were now decorated with another coat of color that made them shimmer and stand out. They then traveled onto multiple sets of vines that held the pattern designs. Jack began reaching out to them when they were done with this process; he had a sparkle in his eye as the endless set of colors shined in the light. The Pooka grabbed one of the eggs and brought it to Jack.

"Here ya go," Bunny said.

Jack took the colorful egg into his hands and gazed at it with interest, once the little legs stated to move Jack made his hands into palms in order to allow the egg to walk. The egg started to climb all over Jack making the baby laugh.

"So I'm guessing that you like the new design I came up with then," Bunny assumed. "Good, then that's means other children will like them too."

Bunny only allowed a few eggs to get decorated right now since Easter wasn't for two more months. However, he would always test out the new designs he came with in order to see how they would look on a model or models. Only this time Bunny had someone else to judge the new designs other than himself. He had gotten Jack's approval on the current design along with his approval.

"Now let's go see his other little mates," Bunny said as he took the egg of Jack's head.

He walked to the other eggs and placed it next to them; he began to critique the different designs and patterns. After an hour of going over the facts with Jack he decided what needed to be changed and what was already perfect. He placed the eggs back where they came from and made a note to himself to add the corrections later.

"Well now that that's done let's go check on the gardens Jack."

Bunny had numerous gardens that were scattered all around the Warren; they held only the finest and freshest vegetables and fruits. He always had to make sure that they were growing correctly along with picking the ones that were ready. There were also gardens that held nothing but a variety of flowers and plants. He enjoyed tending to them and watching them bloom. The Pooka walked back to Jack's cradle and placed a hand on it.

"Sling," Bunny ordered.

With a flash of light the cradle transformed into a baby sling, Bunny placed Jack in the sling and secured it on his back. The sling was Tooth's idea; she had become more paranoid about Jack's safety and insisted that each Guardian also have a way to take Jack with them. The Man in the Moon had overheard her concerns and decided to coat each of the cradles with a bit of magic. The cradles now had the ability to transform into slings with the Guardians' command.

With Jack safely secured Bunny started to walk to his gardens while carrying a basket. Once he was at the first garden he began to collect the vegetables and fruits. He took a sniff at them every once in a while and allowed the fresh scent of nature to hit him.

"When you're a little older you'll get to taste these beauties Jack," Bunny commented.

Jack giggled a little and started to suck on his hand a little. When Jack was able to eat more the Guardians decided to feed him the foods that grew in Bunny's garden first. Then when his teeth would start growing, much to Tooth's excitement, they would start the transition to solid foods.

"Tooth's going to be on North's case when he starts feeding you cookies," Bunny stated. "She'll probably have one of her fairies keep a close on the both of ya when you're teeth start growing in. Not going to lie that's going to be something funny to watch... at least for me and Sandy that is."

Bunny let out a small chuckle as he finished collecting the goods from the garden then he went to check on the other gardens. When he was done he placed the numerous fruits and vegetables in an area where they would stay fresh for a long time.

"Alright Jack time to eat."

Bunny took out a bottle of goat milk from the same area he placed the fruits and vegetables. North had given him several bottles of goat milk for Jack's stay with Bunny… he would do the same for Tooth and Sandy when it was their turn. He took the baby out of the sling and into his arms while walking to Jack's room. He settled in sling on the ground and placed his hand on it.

"Cradle."

Within seconds the sling transformed back into a cradle and Bunny sat next to it. He allowed the baby to take the bottle into his hands; Jack had a look of content on his face as he feed on the milk. Just when Jack was about to finish the milk Bunny caught a small sound with his sharp hearing.

 _Hic._

"What is that?"

 _Hic._

"There it is again."

 _Hic._

"What in-"

Bunny didn't have time to finish his sentence as he felt Jack bounce a little in his arms. He looked down to see the baby bounce again.

 _Hic._

Bunny chuckled a little as he realized what was going on, it looked like Jack caught himself a case of the hiccups.

"Jack you're hiccupping," Bunny commented. "Don't worry we can fix that."

 _Hic._

Bunny gently took the bottle away from Jack and placed him over his shoulder, he began to pat the baby's back. He hoped that the hiccups would go away if he did this, he heard a small burp. Jack stopped hiccupping and instead yawned. Bunny brought him closer so that he was face to face with the infant. Jack's blue eyes looked into Bunny's green eyes. Winter and spring were looking at each other. Jack placed his small hands on Bunny's face and patted it. The Pooka smiled at the child.

"Ya know if someone were to see ya for the first time they would think that ya were just a baby," Bunny said. "But you're more than that… it's hard to believe that a little baby is going to be a Guardian one day."

Jack merely yawned again and Bunny continued to smile at him, he patted the baby's back one more before placing him in the cradle. He rocked the cradle until Jack fell asleep and all was quiet once again in the Warren.

"You're going to have power when you're older Jack," Bunny whispered. "Power that will make ya a force to be reckoned with."

Bunny knew that the Guardians were responsible for teaching Jack how to harness power and while he couldn't wait for that day at the same time he was worried. Jack was so young and yet he was already thrown into a world where beings like them existed. Had he been a normal child he would have been on the other side of the order… the Believers. He wondered if Jack would ever be able to fully comprehend why he was here and what he was supposed to do. However, as the Guardian of Hope he allowed himself to have faith in the small infant that laid before him.

His hope was that Jack would grow up into a fine young man with a big heart and an open mind to the world he lived in. He wanted Jack to reach his full potential as a spirit and as a Guardian. He knew it would take a while but he had them so there was no need to worry. He let out a sigh of relief as he finished rocking the cradle. Despite all of this there was one thing Bunny looked forward to Jack saying in the future.

"I want ya to say that Easter is more important than Christmas," Bunny said. "I can't wait to see how North reacts to that."

With that Bunny allowed himself to relax alongside the sleeping infant, he would be there for Jack when he woke up just like he would be there for Jack throughout his life.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 5**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Tooth_

Busy didn't even begin to describe Tooth's position right now; she was trying to keep up with all of her fairies. Directing them on where to go and what tooth they were looking for. Being the Tooth Fairy was such a difficult job especially when there was a heavy reliance on teeth. After all, the little treasures carried the memories of the children from all around the world.

"All right make sure you sure you place all the teeth in their respective places girls," Tooth announced. "The last thing we need is to loss a memory."

The mini fairies quickly placed their prizes into their containers while collecting a quarter.

"Canada: Fifteen molars, three incisors and ten premolars," Tooth stated.

Tooth flew from fairy to fairy making sure to document all the teeth collected in her head. She was always thrilled to see if the children were taking care of their teeth.

"Now for Alaska: twenty incisors, five molars and two-"

Tooth was interrupted as a giggle erupted from the sling she carried; she looked down at the baby strapped to her. Jack was busy being cuddled by multiple mini fairies, their tiny hands were combing through his hair, some were giving him gentle kisses and others were caressing his small hands.

"Girls pull yourselves together!" Tooth exclaimed. "We have to get back to work."

The mini fairies squeaked in disappointment over having to leave Jack so soon but they had jobs to attend to. Without hesitation each mini fairy gave Jack one more kiss before returning to their work. Jack clapped his hands with happiness as they did so, Tooth let out a small chuckle.

"You're only a baby and yet you're already a heartbreaker," Tooth joked. "My Sweet Tooth."

Tooth had transformed Jack's cradle into a sling, she placed it in the front of her instead of the back due to her wings. She wasn't going to allow the baby out of her sight for even a second; she would never let the Boogeyman get to him again. Tooth returned to collecting the information given to her by her mini fairies while giving them coordinates on where the next tooth was. Once in a while she would carefully observe some of the teeth brought to her before they went to their containers. She would squeal whenever a clean tooth was brought to her or frown whenever an imperfect tooth came into her clutches. She was currently holding one of those teeth right now.

"No proper tooth care," Tooth said as she shook her head.

The mini fairies only squeaked and nodded their heads in response while Jack cooed. Tooth looked down at the baby she was carrying in the sling. She gave him a gentle smile and caressed his hair; Jack gave her a gummy smile. His toothless smile reminded her of something.

"When you get older I'm going to give North a limit on how many cookies you can have," Tooth commented. "Just because he eats those things every day doesn't mean you have to."

Jack gave her a puzzled look; his eyes were big and innocent. He was unaware of what she was talking about.

"As soon as your first tooth grows in I'm going to have to educate the others on how to take care of your teeth. I will not have your mouth be filled with cavities or any other types of tooth decay," Tooth firmly stated.

The mini fairies couldn't help but chuckle at her statement but t they appreciated the fact that she wanted to take care of Jack's teeth when they grew. The baby just cooed and giggled in response. He watched as the swarms of bright color fly pass him. He gazed at them in awe over how beautiful and majestic they looked; then again everything in Tooth's Palace was something to look at twice. The design and layout of it all matched her personality and her passion for collecting teeth as well as the memories they held.

"France: seventeen incisors, twenty premolars, five canines and one molar," Tooth said. "Busy, busy, busy. Collecting so many teeth and memories."

Suddenly a realization hit her; the Guardian of Memories looked down at Jack.

"Memories…" she whispered with a look of sadness on her face. "Girls, do me a favor a keep count of the teeth… there's something I need to see."

The mini fairies stopped buzzing around once they heard their mother; they let out a series of gasps. It was rare to see the Tooth Fairy take a break from her duties; she only did it when there was something important to attend to. Nevertheless the mini fairies nodded their heads and began to chirp out several numbers. Tooth smiled and flew toward a certain direction with the infant still in her possession. She searched for several minute before finally finding what she had been looking for. In her hands was a tooth box with a picture of Jack's face on it, his white hair and blue eyes made it clear that it belonged to him. Tooth let out a sigh as she looked at the currently empty tooth box. The box that would hold Jack's teeth along with his memories. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of memories Jack would have or make seeing as how he wasn't going to be raised by a normal family.

"You're not going to have a mother or a father right Jack?" Tooth asked.

She wasn't expecting an answer but Jack stared at her with a look of interest.

"Why would someone force your mother to give you up? Just because you're not a certain someone's son… that shouldn't matter though… you're just a baby… you didn't do anything wrong. Who's going to be your mother and father… it's true that you have us but we're not human and we're not parents ourselves."

While the mini fairies were technically her children at the same time they were not created in the normal way regular babies were. They were a part of her, created out of her form thanks to the Man in the Moon. They were her and her children at the same time. Tears started to fill her eyes at the thought Jack would miss out on the important things a mother and father would do for their child. Jack would never hear feel his parents rock him to sleep, he would never hear his mother's lullabies and he would never get a chance to make his father proud. Life was so cruel indeed… at least that's how Tooth saw it. She knew that the Guardians could do that but those were memories that should have been made with parents. Jack should have gotten a chance to make memories with both of his mother and father. Sorrow filled her heart, she cried for Jack and she cried for his mother and father since there was no one to do it for them.

Jack felt something drop onto his head, then again and then again. He placed one of his small hands onto his head and touched the mysterious object. Once he brought his hand close to his face he could see a small droplet or water sliding down his hand. He had seen these droplets before, whenever he was sad or wanted something the very same drops of water would come out of his eyes. He deduced that the Tooth Fairy was sad… but he didn't understand the reason why. It broke his little heart to see her face full of such sorrow. He started to reach out her to using his squirming arms. However, Tooth was too busy contemplating the future memories of Jack. He pouted at this and decided to try another option, tears of frustration flowed down his cheeks and he started to wail.

The Tooth Fairy was brought back to reality once she heard the sound of a familiar cry. She looked down at the sling and saw Jack crying. She let out a gasp and quickly placed the tooth box back in its place. She wiped her tears and undid the sling; she brought the baby close to her. Tooth gently bounced him in her embrace.

"Oh don't cry Sweet Tooth, don't cry," Tooth soothed. "You're okay, I've got you."

The baby realized that he had Tooth's attention he stopped crying, he scooted next to Tooth's face and gave her a soft kiss. He remembered how the mini fairies would show their affection to him; he remembered how happy it would make him when they did that. He figured that maybe showing the same kind of affection to Tooth would make her feel happy too. He gave her another gentle kiss.

Tooth felt Jack's soft lips touch her cheek twice, at first she was confused as to what he was doing but she quickly figured it out. He was trying to cheer her up; the mini fairies would always give Jack kisses whenever he was around especially whenever he was sad. Tooth's sadness started to melt away and a smile replaced her sorrow. She laughed at Jack's show of affection, this made Jack giggle. She caressed his snow white hair and tickled him a little. He squirmed and squealed in response but enjoyed the fact that she was happy now.

"Thank you Jack," Tooth said. "Thank you… I promise to take care of you along with the other Guardians… I know I can never replace your mother but I can try to give you the same love she has for you. I'll love you twice as much to make up for her love and for her absence… even though it was not her choice to leave you."

Tooth nuzzled the baby and she placed a kiss on his forehead. She held him in front of her.

"Jack Frost, you're going to be a great Guardian. You're already a wonderful part of this family… I can't wait until the rest of the world knows about you. I believe that."

Tooth hugged Jack before returning to her duties as the Tooth Fairy, she felt better now. Jack felt better too; he had done something that was required for a Guardian. He was there for someone; even if he was a baby he was already getting the hang of what it meant to be a Guardian. He had his human mother and human father to thank for that… he also had his Guardian family to thank as well.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 6**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Sandy_

Despite being the Guardian of Dreams, Sandman never dreamed that one day the Guardians would be responsible for looking after a child. A child that would someday become a Guardian himself and would one day find his center. He would use his center to bring joy to the children he protected. A destiny that was complicated to comprehend to the normal person.

Sandy contemplated the child's future even now as he was working, bringing dreams to the sleeping children of the world. Strapped in front of him in the sling was the sleeping baby named Jack Frost. Sandy made sure that his peaceful slumber was interrupted as he flew through the air with his dream sand. Every once in a while he would stroke the child's face just to reassure him that someone was watching over him. Nothing made him happier than the peaceful look of a sleeping person, that's when dreams were made and when one is given the chance to enter into another world full of possibilities.

Jack had a peaceful look on his face as he slept while sucking on his thumb. Sandy held the child protectively against his chest as he scanned the area for any signs of the Boogeyman. It had been a while ever since any of the Guardians had seen him but knowing Pitch he would strike whenever they had their guard down. Another reason why he did this is because out of all the Guardians he was the one the Boogeyman would most likely target first. Being the Guardian of Dreams and with Pitch Black being the keeper of nightmares it was a combination for disaster. They were opposites, natural enemies compared to the other Guardians. He worried for the baby just all the others had, Pitch's threat of corrupting the infant made them fear for his safety. They has seen what Pitch was capable of when he wasn't busy scaring children… the darkness that only he could possess… the same darkness that could change people. Change them into fearlings and make them serve him as his minions. They figured this is what he wanted to do with Jack if he ever got his hands on him. Just the thought of Jack being Pitch's minion sent shivers down their spines.

Sandman shook his head several times at the thought of that happening, it would never happen! Not as long as they were and as long as the children believed in each of them. He went back to his work as he continued to spread his dream sand. Along the way he saw some children sleeping with their parents in their beds. He figured that it was a custom for children to sleep with their parents whenever they were scared. He made sure to give them nothing to be scared of by sending wonderful dreams filled with joy and happiness. Smiles spread across their faces as a result, the thought of parents made Sandy realize something. Something about the sleeping infant he held.

He stared at the child with sadness; he remembered that Jack didn't have parents anymore. With a father dead and a mother forced to give him up it made him think about the future. When Jack grew older he would start to question why he wasn't like the other children and that would bring up the subject of his parents. Would Jack understand why his mother gave him up? Would he hate her for it? Would he hate them for keeping it a secret for so long? Would he hate himself? Sandy couldn't bear the thought of the innocent baby thinking such things like this.

He wanted nothing more than for the child to know that he was loved and that it didn't matter that they were not related by blood. They didn't need to be in order to be his family. They were capable of giving him the same care and love that parents gave to their children. They could protect him in the same way too. Sandy knew that from the bottom of his heart.

Suddenly he felt something move in the sling, he looked down to see that Jack was stirring and clutched his hands into fists. His eyes started to open and he came face to face with the golden face of the Sandman. He cooed and lifted his arms to the man who held him. Sandy smiled at the baby and took the child out of the sling. Once out Jack saw the sand that was flying everywhere around him. He looked around with wide eyes; his curiosity got the best of him when he started to reach out to the sand. Sandy silently laughed at the infant's actions; he drew his attention back to him as he allowed several figures to dance in front of him. Jack turned back once he saw figures of dolphins, mermaids and starfish dance in front of Sandy. He cooed again and touched the figures made of sand. He felt how smooth they were and how they went through is tiny fingers only for them to reform. He giggled as they did so, he marveled at how wonderful they looked. A smile was still on Sandy's face.

Jack enjoyed the time he was having with the little figures of sand. That gave Sandy an idea; he quickly changed the forms of the sand figures. Jack watched as they did so, their forms changed into ones that resembled the Guardians. He knew that they were them because they had taken care of him before. There was North, Bunny, Tooth and Sandy. They started to move once again and another sand figure popped out. This time it was the form of a baby, Jack looked puzzled at first but then he realized that sand baby figure was him. He watched the sand figures of the Guardians surround his sand form, they hugged the baby. That's when the sand baby started to get bigger. He aged a little but not too much since Jack would stop aging once he turned sixteen. The sand Guardians were still hugging the sand Jack. Sandman hoped that the baby understood what he was trying to tell with without using words.

Baby Jack watched the entire scene happen with the sand. Even if he was just an infant he knew what was happening. He knew that the Guardians were his family and that's what was being portrayed in front of him. He giggled and clapped his hands in understanding.

Sandy looked relived that the baby understood what he was trying to tell him. He brought the child closer to him and hugged him. Jack placed his small hands on Sandman's face, a smile on his face as he did so. Sandy also nuzzled the baby before playing him back in the sling. He created another sand figure, this time it was a snowflake. It danced around Jack and kept the child company as Sandy moved to another area to spread dreams to. He felt better over the situation he had thought about earlier.

He knew that it was inevitable for Jack to ask questions about his parents in the future. He only hoped that the child would understand and remember the family that raised him. Being the Guardian of Dreams he could dream that.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 7**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Easter Holiday_

This was it! Today was the day! It was Easter! Bunnymund couldn't have been any happier and nervous at the same time. As the eggs were busying entering into their designated tunnels Bunny was stuck in his thoughts. Everything had to be perfect as usual, now was not the time for worries but he couldn't help it. What if the children didn't like it? What if the weather was bad? What if the egg hunt started too early or too late? His head was spinning with all of these possibilities.

Just then a familiar coo interrupter his thoughts, he looked down in the crib and saw Jack playing with his blanket. His wide blue eyes were staring at the Pooka. Bunny chuckled at Jack's expression and reached into the crib to take the baby out. Jack giggled as he did so.

"What do ya think ya little ankle biter? Do ya think the children will like this Easter?" Bunny asked.

Jack merely clapped his hands and let out a series of gurgles. Bunnymund smiled at his response.

"I can't believe it's been three months since ya came into our lives," Bunny commented. "This is yer first Easter when ya think about it, there's nothing more exciting than celebrating yer first holiday."

Indeed Bunny was excited about this Easter in particular because this was the first year Jack would be with them. He wanted everything perfect not just for the children but for Jack as well. Even if he was only three months old everything still mattered. In fact he had a little surprise waiting for Jack after he was done spreading Easter joy around the world. A surprise that the other Guardians had helped him with. They were finishing it up while he traveled the world to make sure the holiday went as planned.

He was happy with the fact that it was his turn to have Jack then again the Guardians would have allowed him to have Jack either way since that was a part of their plan on who would watch him on which days. He planned to take Jack with him when he made his rounds throughout the world; he wanted him to see what the Easter Bunny did for this holiday.

"Well Jack let's get this show on the road," Bunny stated as he placed a hand on the crib. "Sling."

The crib transformed into a sling and he wrapped his around himself, he placed Jack into it. Jack was facing his backside but when they reached their first destination he would switch it to the front so Jack could see what was going on. He made sure that Jack was safely secured since they would be moving a lot due to his running though the tunnels.

"All right everyone let the Easter celebration begin!" Bunny exclaimed.

He gathered a basket for himself and loaded it up with several eggs, the eggs Jack and him approved of. He headed for the first tunnel and made his way to the surface. All the way Jack giggled and laughed at the little ride he was on. He enjoyed the sudden movements and waved his hands in the air as they traveled. Once the Pooka saw a bright light he exited the tunnel, he and Jack were now outside in the warm spring air. He stretched his arms a little before placing Jack in front of him using the sling. Jack looked in awe of his surroundings; he saw how beautiful the day looked. He cooed and clapped his hands in happiness.

"Come on Jack let's go see how the little ones are doing," Bunny commented.

The Easter Bunny walked to the area where he planned for the eggs to hide in. Right on schedule the eggs appeared out of a hole in the ground. They started to walk to their designated hiding places Bunny wanted them to be in. Once they were there they stopped walking and stayed still.

"Perfect," Bunny said. "Wouldn't you say so Jack?"

Jack cooed in response. With his sharp hearing Bunny picked up on the footsteps of several people. In this case the ones he had been waiting for.

"And here come the guests of honor," Bunny stated.

The baby saw where the Pooka was looking at, he saw several children running towards the area where the eggs were hiding. He saw that they were carrying baskets similar to the one his current caretaker was holding. He looked very interested and confused at the same time. He didn't know what they were doing. He had seen the eggs before but he didn't know why they were hiding.

"Watch Jack," Bunny whispered. "Watch the magic."

With that the Pooka hide behind several bushes with Jack in tow. They was a small opening in the bushes where they could peek out and see the scene in front of them. They watched as the children laughed and smiled over the fact that the Easter Bunny had visited them. They quickly began to search for the colorful treasures.

"Look at this one!"

"How pretty!"

"The designs are so unique!"

"I love these Easter eggs!"

Bunnymund smiled.

"They love our choices Jack," Bunny whispered.

Jack titled in head in confusion as he watch the children place the eggs into their baskets. They looked for more of the eggs and kept doing so until they were no more to be discovered. Once they were done they gathered in a circle to compare their treasures.

"Let's see how they taste like this year," a boy said.

"They look pretty tasty to me," a girl commented.

"Let's see," another boy stated.

They started to break the eggs in half and saw the small chocolates inside, without hesitation they took the first piece of chocolate out and began to eat it. Jack's blue eyes watched what was happening. He didn't know that the eggs had things inside them. He was so amazed!

"So delicious!" they exclaimed in unison.

With that Bunny decided to make himself known to the children. He carefully walked out of the bush with his basket and Jack.

"Of course it is," Bunny commented. "It was made by the Easter Bunny himself."

"The Easter Bunny!" they shouted with joy.

"That's right ya little ankle biters, I'm the Easter Bunny," Bunny greeted.

"You came back!" a boy said.

"Of course I did its Easter, a time of hope."

"Your eggs are so pretty, they have different designs than they did last year," a girl stated.

"Well I did have a little help this year when it came to new designs for the eggs," Bunny admitted.

"Really? Well they did a good job," another girl added. "Your chocolate was delicious as always as well."

"Thank ya for yer compliments," Bunny replied.

He then remembered he had a schedule to stick to so he had to say goodbye to the children once again… that is until next year.

"I'm sorry to go but there are other children who are waiting for Easter," Bunny stated.

"Aww so soon?" another boy whined.

"I'm afraid so, as the Easter Bunny there is never a busier day than today," Bunny said as he gave a gentle pat on the boy's head. "But here is one last egg from the Easter Bunny himself."

The Pooka took an egg out of his basket and placed it in the boys; he did the same with the other children. They had looks of happiness on their faces as he did so.

"Have a great Easter children and I will see you again next year," Bunny stated as he turned around to disappear into another tunnel.

"Wait Mr. Easter Bunny!" another girl called out.

"What is it mate?"

"I noticed that you're wearing a sling this year… but there's nothing in it," the girl commented. "Why are you wearing it then?"

The Guardian of Hope turned back to the girl with a gentle smile on his face, he patted Jack's head. The baby giggled and gently grabbed the Pooka's hand. The children could see any of this though and they couldn't hear it either. All they saw was the Easter Bunny patting the air. They were confused to what he ws doing until he addressed them.

"Ya will know the answer to that one day," Bunny stated. "That day when he has his powers. Farewell ya little ankle biters… until next year."

After that the Pooka jumped into the tunnel leaving the children confused but nevertheless they were happy that they saw the Easter Bunny again. They quickly returned home to show their parents what they had in their baskets and to tell them about their day.

Before Bunny started to move to the other locations he placed Jack in the back of him with the sling. He then started to run.

"Don't worry Jack," the Pooka said. "They'll be able to see you one day and I know you'll be a great friend to the children. You'll protect them and keep their hopes up. That is the duty of a Guardian."

The three month old merely made gurgle sounds and started to suck on his fingers as they moved. The Guardian of Hope knew deep within his heart what he said was true. He knew that Jack would someday have believers of his own… he knew it would happen because he had hope.

The Easter Bunny made his way through several areas repeating his actions. Making sure the eggs were in their assigned placed, watching to make sure the children found the eggs, interacting with them and giving them an extra egg while caring for Jack at the same time. Sometimes the other children would ask him the same question regarding the sling he wore and every time he would give them the same answer.

Meanwhile Jack would enjoy the rides he went on when Bunny was traveling. He would giggle and clap his hands. When they stopped to see the children he would find himself growing more fascinated with them. He watched as they would repeat the same actions the other children had done. Even as a baby he was beginning to understand what his current caretaker was doing. He saw the look of joy on the children's faces as they participated in the holiday. He knew what Bunnymund was doing was good and it brought happiness to a lot of people.

Finally they were done, the Easter Bunny was finished with his duties and now it was time for the surprise he had planned for Jack.

"Alright Jack let's go back to the Warren," Bunny said.

Bunny tapped the ground with his foot and a hole opened. He quickly moved along the tunnel and found himself back at the Warren. The other Guardians were waiting there along with several other members of their group. That included several yetis, elves and mini fairies. They had smiles on their faces once they saw the duo return from their trips.

Bunny removed the sling from himself and then he removed Jack from the sling itself. He turned Jack around to see what his surprise was.

"Surprise!" the shouted in unison.

The baby let out a small gasp as he saw the large group of people he had come to know as his family over the last three months. He started to wiggle in Bunny's arms and his hands reached out towards them.

"Hold on ya little ankle biter we're going over there," Bunny said with a chuckle.

Before Bunny could even walk towards the group Jack was taken out of his arms by a flying force. He looked around to see Tooth with the baby in her arms. He only chuckled at her actions as she flew around with Jack.

"Oh my little Sweet Tooth," she cooed. "Did you enjoy your first Easter run with Bunnymund?"

Jack laughed and waved his little arms in the air. The mini fairies flew around him and chirped with joy over the baby's excitement.

"Tooth!" North addressed. "Bring Jack down here so we get Easter for him started!"

"Oh right, coming!" Tooth replied.

The Tooth Fairy flew closer to the large group with Bunny now there as well. He transformed the sling back into a crib and stood on one of the tall rocks that surrounded his Warren.

"Come out little ones!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly more colorful eggs started to appear out of their places only these eggs were different from the others he sent above the surface. They were different shades of blue with small designs of snowflakes and snowflake-like patterns. He designed them just for Jack. The eggs went into their hiding places and waited to be collected.

"Do you see the eggs Sweet Tooth?" Tooth asked as she held him closer. "They were made to have your color scheme."

Jack clapped his hands and cheered a little with his baby voice.

"And here is your very own basket," North as he pulled out a small basket. "The rest of us have our own and now so do you."

The baby saw the small basket and realized that it was identical to the ones Bunny held and the ones the children had. He looked at the eggs and then back at the basket. He knew what he was supposed to do. He pointed to the egg and wiggled in Tooth's arms, his way of telling her to take him over there. With a gentle smile Tooth did so. Once they got close enough Tooth bent down so Jack could reach the egg. Using his small arm he grabbed the egg and then pointed back to the basket. North nodded his head and brought the basket closer to the infant. Jack placed the egg in the basket, suddenly the sounds of clapping erupted from the large group. He looked up to see that it was his family and he began to clap too.

"Way to go ya little ankle biter!" Bunny exclaimed as he got closer to Jack.

He patted the baby's head and Jack leaned into the gentle touch. Bunny turned toward the others.

"Now the Easter celebration can begin!" he exclaimed. "Now start finding the eggs!"

With that the yetis, elves and mini fairies started to run around the Warren looking for the eggs. North and Tooth brought their baskets with them as well but Tooth's was currently with the mini fairies seeing as how they couldn't fit an egg into a basket of their size. So instead they were collecting some for her and themselves. Sandy used his sand figures to find where the eggs where hidden and was careful not to put anyone to sleep. North started to pick up some of his own as he helped Jack collect his. Bunny traveled around the Warren as the Easter egg hunt went on, he made sure everyone was having a good time and enjoying the company especially Jack. It warmed his heart to see a smile on the baby's face every time he put an egg into his basket. He knew that they did good with this surprise.

Laughter and hope filled the air as the celebration went on. The Guardians with their friends and family coming together to make sure their newest addition participated in the fun times. Fun. Little did they know that was a word that would always be with Jack. Even now he was beginning to see what made people laugh and smile, he was learning that fun was what made them do such things.

After all the eggs were collected everyone settled down to enjoy their tasty treats, In order for Jack to have some too he made a different kind of sweet. It was made from the same goat's milk Jack drank with a few little twists involving tiny bits of chocolate. He made sure not to add too much since Jack was still a baby. Jack would be able to eat then even if he didn't have teeth yet since they were different from the regular chocolate he put inside the eggs. These chocolates would melt in your mouth as soon as they touched your tongue. That way Jack could eat or in this case drink it like the milk he drank every day. Everyone enjoyed the new taste Bunny had created even Jack and he reached his arms out towards the Pooka.

The Guardian of Hope reached down and took Jack into his arms once he saw this. He brought the baby face to face with him. Jack smiled and wrapped his arms around Bunny's neck. He nuzzled his head into the warm fur and cooed. His way of saying thank you.

"I hope you enjoyed your first Easter with us ya little ankle biter because there will be plenty of more where that came from," Bunny stated. "I can promise you that."

"Just wait until Christmas Bunny then we'll tell which holiday he likes better," North commented as he ate his final piece of candy. "Although it will be Christmas… that I can promise you."

"Ya want to start this battle right now North?" Bunny asked as he handed Jack to Sandy. "Because I will be the winner mate."

"That's what you think," North stated.

The two Guardians stood tall in front of the other and gave each other a glare.

"Christmas!"

"No, Easter!"

"No, Christmas!"

"Easter!"

"Christmas!"

"Jack's favorite holiday will be Easter!"

"Jack's favorite holiday will be Christmas!"

Sandman and Tooth shook their heads but smiled nonetheless, it was a funny debate to watch. The others though so too. Jack started to yawn as the duo still fought over which holiday he would like better. Sandy noticed this and sprinkled sand onto the infant. The baby's blue eyes closed and he had a big smile on his face as he entered a dream where he relived the events that happened today. This was his best first Easter.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 8**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **Sorry I haven't updated this fanfic in a while. *bows head in apology***

 **Enjoy the new chapter!**

 _Baby Teeth_

Tooth was busy counting teeth while Jack in in the sling and was busy biting into his stuffed kangaroo that North had made for him recently. North also added a baby kangaroo that could be taken out of the mother's pouch. Jack loved this little detail as he would giggle every time he did so.

"China: ten molars, two canines, twenty two premolars and two incisors," Tooth said as she flew to each fairy that collected a tooth. "Busy as always."

Tooth noticed that Jack was nibbling more on the stuffed animal than usual but she was too busy to really think about it. Despite knowing that they had jobs to do the mini fairies would sneak off for a little bit just to spend time with Jack. Thankfully their mother didn't seem notice this as she was taking a count of the teeth. They would chirp and buzz all around Jack and that made the four month old baby giggle some more. Then he would go right back to biting on his stuffed toy.

"England: one canine, eighteen premolars and nine incisors," Tooth muttered. "As always girls make sure the teeth go into their proper places and stop playing around with the baby. Don't think I didn't notice that."

The mini fairies squeaked in shock over being discovered.

"We need to all work together now if we hope to get all these teeth organized.," the Tooth Fairy stated firmly. "You all can play with Jack when it's time for your breaks but right now we need all hands pulling their own weight. Understand?"

While they didn't want to leave so soon but she did promised them that they would get to spend time with Jack later as long as they finished their work. They couldn't argue with that and they said their goodbyes to Jack before returning to their duties. Jack waved goodbye to them before chewing on the kangaroo's ear.

"Moscow: seven incisors, fourteen canines, twelve molars and three premolars," Tooth stated. "Today is a rare day; so far there have been no teeth that have any sort of decay."

Baby Jack watched as the little treasures were placed into their assigned spots. He saw how smooth they were; they shined as the light hit them. He cooed in awe at how they looked. He didn't realize that he too would have a set of teeth and he also didn't realize that he was going through the process known as teething. That was the reason why his gums were bothering him so much lately and that was also the reason why he was chewing on his stuffed animal. Chewing on it relived the pain and made him less fussy.

While the little fairies were working they quickly noticed something that they didn't before. They noticed that Jack hadn't let go of his stuffed kangaroo ever since he got there. He was keeping it close to himself and for some reason kept chewing on it. They knew that it was common for babies to chew on things even when they didn't have their teeth but this was not the usual chewing. Not to mention that he was doing this type of chewing more than usual. They knew something was wrong. Just when they were about to interrupt their mother's work the toy managed to get loose from Jack's grip and it fell down on the floor. They gasped as they stared at the baby whose eyes widen at the horror. His hands turned into small fists and tears started to well up in his blue eyes. He sniffled a little before breaking into sobs. This stopped everything as everyone's attention was on the crying infant.

"Jack?" Tooth questioned. "What's wrong Sweet Tooth?"

Tooth took the baby out of the sling and brought him close to her face. The baby still kept crying as the pain in his gums intensified and he didn't have his toy to chew on anymore. The tiny fairies all had expressions filled with sympathy as they heard the baby's wails. They realized that they had to get his toy back as soon as possible. Without a moment's hesitation they dove down onto the floor and they gathered into a small group in order to lift the stuffed toy. With a little strength they managed to pick up the toy and struggled to stay in the air until they reached Jack. Meanwhile Tooth was trying her best to soothe Jack but he kept crying until he saw the little tooth fairies flying with his toy in their small hands. His wails were reduced to whimpers and then coos as his toy was given back to him. He let out a tired giggle as he hugged the toy and started to chew on it again. Tooth chuckled as he saw him do this.

"Jack, you silly baby, that's not food… wait a minute," she said.

Tooth gently opened Jack's mouth much to the baby's annoyance as he wanted to chew on his toy but she ignored it as she took a closer look at something that caught her eye. She noticed that at Jack's bottom gums were two little white teeth. They weren't fully out but nevertheless they were there. Tooth's eyes widen as a big smile appeared on her face, her wings started to flutter even faster. She jumped higher into the air and started to dance with Jack in her arms. Jack held tightly onto his toy as she did so.

"Jack, my little Sweet Tooth, has his first teeth!" she exclaimed with joy in her voice. "You first teeth! Baby teeth! You're becoming a big boy Jack because you have your first teeth!"

The mini fairies clapped their hands as Tooth made that announcement, their tiny wings fluttered just as fast as hers were. Jack stated to giggle as Tooth danced around some more with him. Despite the pain he was in he was enjoying the small ride he was on as she kept flying around. He was having fun right now as the smile on her face made him happy. He paid no attention to his gums as he wrapped his small arms around the Tooth Fairy's neck. Tooth planted several kisses on his face as did the small fairies when they heard why she was so happy.

"Your first teeth, what a joyous memory to have!" she cheered. "That means that I'm going to have to start putting restrictions on what North feeds you! I will not have these little treasures go to waste! Oh, look at them they sparkle like freshly fallen snow! How cute!"

Several more minutes went by with Tooth cheering and dancing around with Jack. She stopped when she remembered what she had said earlier about Jack becoming a big boy. The baby was facing her as she contemplated that the fact that Jack's teeth were growing in meant that he was growing up. The little baby who had been brought by the Man in the Moon about four months ago was lowly growing into a healthy child and soon a young adult. Then he would stay like that forever. But she had told herself long ago that the Guardians would be his family and would love him just as much as a parent could. She smiled at the baby and hugged him.

"Grow up into a fine boy Jack; we'll be waiting for the day when you can officially become a Guardian. Even if it takes years for that to happen we will wait because that's what families do," Tooth stated. "We're your family and you're our baby. Right now you're our baby Guardian with baby teeth and just like baby teeth you will grow and someday bring forth a new beginning as you do so. But for right now just stay the way you are because just because you can grow up doesn't mean you have to rush it."

Jack listened to the Tooth Fairy's statement and he seemed to understand as he clapped his hands and brought his toy back into his mouth to chew on. Tooth chuckled as did the mini fairies. They knew that Jack wouldn't be small forever but they would enjoy these moments with him. After all keeping memories was what they specialized in.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 9**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Little Crawler and Little Flyer_

Sandy did his best to keep the baby still as he traveled while spreading his dreamsand. For some reason Jack wasn't keeping still or didn't want to keep still as he flew. He thought that maybe Jack just wanted to get out of the sling for a while so he took him out. Once he was out Jack clapped his hands as this action made him happy but he was still fussy. Even if he was still a baby he found himself getting bored and tired of being carried around all the time. While he enjoyed having one of his caretakers hold him at the same time he wanted to be free. As Sandy held him he started to kick his little legs and squirmed to get out of the Sandman's grasp. He wanted to be free!

Sandman couldn't figure out what Jack wanted as he moved around in his grip. He was getting worried as he didn't want to risk dropping the baby so he landed on the closest place he saw. He landed next to a grassy area next to several small homes. With everyone being asleep he wasn't worried about any children seeing him and no one could see Jack yet anyway. He ordered his dreamsand to continue with his work while he figured out what Jack wanted. Images of baby Jack and a question mark appeared over his head as he stared at the baby. Jack just whimpered a little before fussing some more. Sandy didn't know what to do as Jack couldn't tell him what he wanted. Suddenly a small light started to dance before him and Jack. It was a firefly and it landed on the patch of grass they were at. Jack stared at the little light as it flew. He saw it landed on a small piece of grass. He pointed to the firefly and then looked at Sandy, hoping that he get the message. Sandy looked at Jack then back at the firefly, he knew what Jack wanted. He smiled as he gently placed Jack on the grass next to the firefly. Sandy knew that the firefly could see Jack but it didn't seem to mind him sitting beside it. The only ones who could see the spirits and Guardians were not only children who believed but animals as well that included insects.

Jack cooed as he reached out to touch the insect. Once the firefly caught sight of the baby's hand reaching out towards it its wings started to move and it flew to another spot on the grass. He still wanted to look at it so he decided to follow it. A san image of Jack and the sling appeared over Sandy's head as he was just about to put Jack back in the sling now that he had calmed down. However just when he was about to pick him up Jack moved. He was crawling towards the firefly! Jack was crawling! Sandman's eyes widen over the fact that Jack was now mobile on his own. He watched as Jack used his arms to move as well as kick his legs to move forward. Sandy felt his heart warm as he saw that Jack was becoming a little more independent. True that Jack wasn't walking yet but this was a step forward in that direction. Soon he would be walking and would be able to get around easier. Sand shifted to make images of Jack crawling then walking over his head.

Jack cooed as he made his way towards the firefly only to stop when he saw more fireflies gathering around him and the Sandman. One landed on his nose and he giggled before crawling some more. The firefly on his nose flew to the group and flew around the baby and Sandman. Jack stopped crawling in order to get a better view of the flying fireflies. As he observed them he realized that the fireflies almost seemed to be making images with their small lights. It reminded him of Sandy's way of speaking. It was like they were talking to him. He cooed and giggled as he reached for the flying lights.

Sandy saw that Jack had taken a break from crawling just so he could watch the fireflies. He watched as Jack looked at them with such interest and awe. He noticed what Jack had noticed too. The fireflies seemed to be making shapes with their small lights as they flew. It was similar to what he did using his sand. Suddenly an exclamation point appeared over his head as a way of saying that he had an idea. He gathered baby Jack into his arms and flew towards the fireflies. He shape shifted his sand into fireflies and sent them to interact with the other fireflies. He wanted the flying insects to know that they were not going to hurt them. The insects seemed to understand as they didn't fly away once Sandman and Jack were in the middle of their group. They continued to fly around them while the two took in the beautiful scene they were watching.

Jack laughed as the little lights danced around. He then held his arms out like he was going to fly with them. Sandy saw this and then got another idea. He made his sand wrap around Jack's lower body as well and form insect- like appendages on his back and head. Jack noticed this and looked at Sandy with a puzzled expression. It wasn't until after he sand stopped moving that he realized what the Guardian of Dreams had done. He made Jack look like a firefly using his sand. He was a firefly; he clapped his hands with happiness and leaned close to the Sandman's golden face to plant a gentle kiss. Sandy could feel his heart become warm over the affection Jack had given him and he smiled. He let go of the baby but he didn't fall. The sand was holding him up and was now starting to make him fly with the fireflies. He was really a firefly now. He giggled some more as the sand moved him around and made him fly.

Sandman watched with pride in his eyes as his sand held Jack in a protective embrace while making him fly. Jack looked like a firefly with the sand attached to him. The other insects seemed happy that they had a new friend as they flew beside him with their lights trailing behind them. This continued for a while until Sandy realized that it was time to go. Either way the fireflies were starting to leave as well. He made his sand place Jack back on the ground gently and landed on the ground as well. Jack saw the fireflies leave and he raised his hand in the air. He opened and closed it as if he was saying goodbye to his little glowing friends. The friends that reminded him of one of his caretakers. He then turned back to Sandy and started to crawl back to him. He was happy that the Guardian of Dreams had allowed for him to have fun while he was working even if it was only for a little while. Sandy just stood where he was and waited for the baby to crawl to him. He understood that Jack was growing up just like all normal children did.

He recalled when Tooth made the announcement that Jack's teeth were starting to grow, he smiled and shook his head once he remembered the lecture she had given to North about giving him too much cookies. She also had the same lecture to Bunnymund but she was more lenient towards the Easter Bunny since he ate more than just his sweets. North on the other hand ate his cookies every day or at least it seemed that way. He wasn't surprised the cookies made at the North Pole were different from normal cookies that people made. There seemed to be a little bit of magic in them or at least that what North always said and then he would let out a good strong laugh.

Sandy was snapped out of his thoughts once he felt tiny hands on his feet. He looked down to see Jack sitting there with a smile on his face. Sandy reached down and took the baby in his arms. Images of baby Jack and a thumbs up appeared over his head, he was proud of Jack. Jack smiled before yawning and nuzzling his head into Sandman's chest. The Guardian of Dreams gently placed the baby into the sling and tapped his forehead with his dreamsand. Jack instantly fell asleep and small images of fireflies could be seen over his head. There was another image that caught his eye as well, that image was of Jack flying but this time he didn't have any sand helping him. He was flying on his own. He was dreaming of flying with the fireflies.

Sandy stared at the sleeping baby's dream. The Man in the Moon had chosen a great spirit to be the next Guardian. The child was going to do great things in the future, he just knew it. He couldn't wait for that future to come. With that Sandy gently flew into the air and he continued to spread his dreamsand to the sleeping world. Jack smiled as he dreamt of flying on his own. He wanted to fly one day just like the fireflies… and Sandy.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 10**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Dancing Snowflake_

"That one is sweet potatoes, that one is squashes, that one is peaches and the other is apples," Bunnymund explained.

"Nice arrangement Bunny," North commented.

"Only the best for the little ankle biter," Bunny replied. "Besides it's time for him to start eating solid foods and I don't think Tooth would want you to start feeding him cookies right now."

"Don't remind me, ears still ringing from lecture," North stated.

"Yer not the only one," Bunny said as he pointed to his ears.

The two Guardians shared a laugh while Jack cooed in response and clapped his hands. There in front of the two Guardians and baby was a basket filled with four jars of mashed vegetables and fruits. Now that Jack's teeth started to grow in the Guardians decided that it was time to start feeding him solid foods or at least mashed up foods. Bunny had taken the liberty of collecting various foods from his gardens at mashing them just enough for Jack to eat them. He only mashed a little due to the fact that some of the other vegetables and fruits were ready to be picked yet and he wanted to hear how Jack responded to them.

"Anyway when it's time for him to eat feed him a little of each to see if he likes them or not, also still give him his milk but not too much since he'll be eating more stuff this time," Bunny said.

"I understand Bunny, no need to worry," North said as he held the baby in his arms. "Jack in good hands."

"Let's hope," Bunny commented with a smile. "Well I should get going now; I'll stop by the end of this first week to see how much he ate. If all goes well I'll give jars to Tooth and Sandy when it's their turn to care for him."

"Alright then see you later Bunny," North responded.

"Goodbye North and goodbye Jack," Bunny said as a hole appeared on the floor.

Jack waved his hand at the Guardian of Hope and Bunny waved back, he then left through the tunnel he created. North turned to the infant in his arms.

"Ready to spend time with your favorite Santa Claus Jack?" North questioned.

Jack cooed and giggled as he waved his arms in the air. The Guardian of Wonder smiled and started to walk to the kitchen while carrying Jack and the basket full of Jack's food. Once there he placed the jars into the ice box he had, a large wooden and decorated box that held large bits of ice in a secret compartment that was underneath it. It came in handy with it came to keeping food fresh and making it last longer.

"Now little snowflake there's something I want to show you," North said as he walked along the halls of his home. "Something new and special seeing how you loved kangaroo and baby kangaroo toy I figure I can make something else you like."

Jack simply stared at the Guardian of Wonder as they passed several yetis and elves that were busy working on various toys, the yetis more so than the elves though. Jack gazed in awe over how fascinating some of the toys looked as well as how they brighten up the room with a variety of colors. North couldn't but notice this and he smiled. Jack saw the wonder in the toys that were being made; his eyes were filled with the same wonder as his. Jack noticed that they were heading to North's office as he recognized the path and the door once they got there. He remembered sleeping there during the times it was North's turn to watch and care for him. He also remembered that it was the same place where that bad man had scared him. He clutched North's shoulder tightly as they entered to the office.

It was the same as always, busy with new toy designs and several ice sculptures were scattered across the area. Jack cooed some more when he saw his cradle in the office. North and Bunny had the tendency to move his cradle around due to the fact that they worked in one location while he would mostly travel with Tooth and Sandy as they barley sat still due to their jobs. He had slept in his cradle at Tooth's Palace from time to time but he had yet to actually use his cradle when he was with Sandy. Out of all the Guardians he had yet to go to Sandy's home. He had been to the North Pole, the Warren and the Palace but not the Island. Sandy's Island. The Guardians knew this and they knew that it was not Sandy's fault as being the Guardian of Dreams Sandy barely got a chance to go home himself even before Jack came into the picture. And the times when Sandy would have a chance to go home Jack wasn't there since he would be with the other Guardians. The Guardians weren't worried though as they knew Jack would have a chance to see Sandman's home one day. They knew that there were spirits there who were anxiously waiting to meet him.

"Here we are Jack," North said as he gently placed the baby on the floor.

Jack gave the Guardian of Wonder a puzzled look as North was looking through his desk for something. He then brought out a small sphere-like box that had beautiful designs of snowflakes with different shades of blue along with white and gold coloring. Jack's eyes widen at the beauty of the box as he it was placed in front of him on the floor. North then sat down next to the box and that's when Jack noticed that there was a small level sticking out of the back of the small offering. North placed his hand on the lever and twisted it around a little before releasing it. Jack saw the level start to move on its own as the lid of the box opened to reveal a beautiful sight. When the lid opened a small stage was lifted to where the lid was and in the middle was a snowflake. Surrounding it were small snowmen and other little snowflakes. Music could be heard and it was emitting from the small box. It was the lullaby that North would always play for him whenever he was with him and when it was time for him to sleep. Jack cooed and clapped as the small figures began to spin as the music played. It was soothing for him to hear. North smiled as Jack clearly enjoyed the small object he made.

"You know song don't you little snowflake?" North questioned.

Jack looked at North and gave him a big smile; his small teeth were showing as he did so. North then scooped Jack into his arms along with the music box. Jack gasped a little at first but quickly smiled as North began to move around. North started to slowly dance along with the soft music. Jack held onto North's shirt as they moved around the room. He giggled and waved his arms in the air.

"Enjoying dance?" North asked.

Jack merely giggled in response but it was easy to tell that he was enjoying himself. More music filled the air as the Guardian of Wonder and the future Guardian danced together. After a while Jack nuzzled his head into North's shoulder and relaxed as the lullaby continued to play. He kept giggling along with gurgling as he danced in North's arms. He watched the little objects move on the music box, he was getting lost in the detailed designed North had given them.

North held onto the little one while holding the music box. He knew that Jack was very fond of the lullaby so he wanted to incorporate Jack into the lullaby. He did so by creating a new music box that had Jack's theme of winter and snow. Truthfully this lullaby was what North use to listen to during his days as a human. Indeed Santa Claus himself was not always a nice and giving person. He was the embodiment of naughtiness back in his youth and before he was a Guardian. He constantly went through tough moments during this time but with guidance he was able to discover what his true destiny was. His destiny was to bring wonder to the world by being a Guardian and by being Santa Claus… that was his center. He wanted to be that for Jack… he wanted to be his guidance along with being a member of his family. He saw himself in Jack, the little one had the same eyes as he did and still does. Eyes that are eager to see what others cannot see. They were full of wonder.

"I can't wait to see what your center will be Jack," North said as he paused from dancing.

Jack looked at him with curious eyes.

"The road to becoming Guardian will be long and tough little snowflake," North commented. "But we Guardians will always be there for you."

Jack cooed in response and stretched his hands towards the music box, by this time the lullaby had stopped playing. North handed it to him. Once it was in his hands he looked at it carefully before copying what North did earlier. He twisted the lever sticking out and the music started to play once again with the little objects dancing. Jack gurgled and hugged the music box. North chuckled a little at the sight before realizing that it was time for Jack to eat.

"Alright little one time for you to eat," North said. "Time to give Bunny's food a taste. What do you say Jack?"

Jack held the music box in one hand and waved the other in the air as if telling North he was ready, the Guardian of Wonder smiled.

"Come on my little dancing snowflake we've got whole three weeks together before Bunny takes you and tries to make you think that Easter is better than Christmas... which is lie!" North exclaimed.

The baby giggled at North's comment before turning his attention to the dancing music box. He had danced with North and even though he couldn't walk yet he enjoyed it. He was like the dancing objects in the music box. North was right, he was a dancing snowflake. He wanted to dance in the snow… with North… Bunny… Tooth... Sandy… he wanted to dance with everyone. Because there was nothing better than dancing with your family… nor was there anything more fun.

 **Next chapter... Jack's first word! What will it be? Who knows?**

 **Please review and leave your comments, thank you for your time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 11**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Kangaroo_

"Are you ready to eat Jack?" Bunny asked as he mixed a bowl of mashed sweet potatoes.

Jack sucked on his fingers as he was asked the question. Once he saw Bunny mixing his food he took his fingers out of his mouth and waited for the spoon filled with his meal to come to him. Bunny stopped mixing the sweet potatoes and took a scoop of it into the spoon.

"Here it comes," Bunny said as he readied the spoon to travel to Jack.

Once Jack saw that Bunny was going to feed him in the same manner as North did he decided to do what he did with North as well. He opened his mouth and once the spoon was close enough he quickly closed his mouth and turned away. A mischievous smile was on his face as he did so. An amused expression was on the Pooka's face.

"Oh, are ya going to pull the same trick you did with North on me?" Bunny questioned.

Jack just smiled, Bunnymund got his answer and he let out a comical sigh. The Guardian of Wonder had told Bunny of Jack new favorite pastime. That was avoiding eating on purpose, it's not that Jack hated the food he was being served but the baby in him couldn't resist having a little fun with the process of eating. North found it not only comical but downright hilarious.

"Ya think yer cute don't ya?' Bunny asked.

Jack clapped his hands and even stuck out his tongue at Bunny.

"Very funny ya little ankle biter but one way or another you're going to eat yer food."

Jack gave him a look as if telling him that he welcomed the challenge. Bunny stroked his chin and contemplated how to feed Jack. He suddenly came up with an idea; he held the spoon in one hand and moved to Jack's chair. The seven month old looked confused as to what Bunny was doing. The Pooka placed a hand over Jack's stomach and started to tickle him. Jack let out a surprised squeak once he felt the ticklish feeling. He tried to move away but his chair held him in place as the Guardian of Hope continued to tickle him. He couldn't hold in his laughter anymore as sounds of giggles came out of his mouth. Bunny had a sly smirk on his face as he got Jack to do what he wanted. With Jack's mouth wide open he stopped tickling him and once he stopped giggling he quickly placed the spoon in his mouth. Jack felt the taste of sweet potatoes on his tongue and he pouted. He glared at Bunnymund.

"Don't give me that look little mister, ya got yourself into this situation," Bunny said.

The baby huffed a little but chewed the mashed up food before swallowing. Bunny had a look of victory on his face as he scooped another spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes. He held the spoon out for Jack but the baby repeated his actions from earlier.

"Still want to play that game huh?"

Jack gave him another mischievous smile.

"Well two can play at that game."

Bunny raised his hand over Jack's stomach and the baby gasped.

"Don't want that to happen again?" Bunny asked. "Then eat yer food or else ya get tickled."

Just to show that he wasn't kidding he lightly tickled Jack's stomach to which the baby giggled a little. Bunny then stopped and held the spoon in front of Jack. This time the seven month old didn't fight it and opened his mouth. The rest of Jack's meal was eaten peacefully until his bowl was empty. Once he was done eating Bunny cleaned his face. That's when he got the alert. He felt the call of the Guardians, the aurora borealis. Something was going on.

"We have to get to North's workshop," Bunny stated. "Come on Jack."

He took the baby into his arms and went over to his cradle; he removed the stuffed kangaroo toy and gave it to Jack who happily accepted it. He then placed his hand on the cradle.

"Sling," he said.

The cradle changed into a sling and Bunny wrapped it around Jack before placing it one himself. With that he took off into the nearest tunnel and traveled to the North Pole. Along the way Jack played with his stuffed toy. He made it hop on Bunnymund's; he then noticed how Bunny was hopping as well. He never realized that before. Bunny hopped! Whenever Phil had played with him he would always make the kangaroo and her baby hop, he would watched and then make the toys hop himself. Bunny was like the kangaroo in many ways. They had big feet, long ears and could hop. He wondered… was his current caretaker a kangaroo? He pondered that thought as they tunnel led into the Globe Room. The Guardian of Wonder, the Guardian of Dreams and the Guardian of Memories were all there. And now so was Guardian of Hope along with the little future Guardian. As soon as he entered the room Bunny could sense the tension and he could see the looks on the Guardians faces. They were looks of worry and terror… and they were all directed at Jack.

"What's going on?" Bunny asked.

North let out a sigh and he crossed his arms. His expression hardened as he walked over to Bunny and Jack.

"Bunny," North addressed. "It's Pitch."

Bunny's ears twitched, his eyes widen and his hands clutched into fists. Jack noticed how Bunny's body went tense and a puzzled expression appeared on his small face. The tension was almost scaring him and he held his kangaroo tightly.

"He's back," Bunny stated.

"I'm afraid so," North replied. "We need to talk."

North then turned to the side; there was Phil along with some other yetis.

"Please get us a table and some chairs," North said to the yetis.

The giant creatures nodded their heads and did as they were told. They came back several minutes later with what was asked for. They set them down in the middle of the room and the Guardians sat down expect for Bunny. He took Jack out of the sling and had him in his arms.

"Phil, can you stay with Jack while we talk?" North asked.

The yeti smiled and nodded. Bunny allowed Phil to stay the confused baby.

"As for the rest of you return to your duties," North said.

The yetis and elves walked out of the room and went back to what they were doing before the meeting; they knew that once a Guardian meeting occurred they were supposed to stay away from the Globe Room until the meeting was over. All expect Phil left the room. The yeti knew that while Jack was in the care of someone at the same time they didn't want him out of sight especially when the subject concerned Pitch Black. Phil shuddered once he remembered the Boogeyman's first meeting with Jack. The first and only meeting thank goodness. But he now he feared that wouldn't be the case anymore now that he was back. Phil stopped thinking once he heard the small whimpers of a baby. He looked down to see that there were traces of tears in Jack's blue eyes. Tooth saw this too and quickly flew over to the yeti and baby with some of her mini fairies following behind her. She caressed Jack's cheek while the mini fairies stroked his white hair.

"It's okay Sweet Tooth," the Tooth fairy said. "Just play with your kangaroo and go with Phil okay?"

Jack looked at her with uncertainty but he was happy that she spoke to him in gentle words. Tooth could see this and got an idea, she turned to her little flying children.

"Girls, you can play with Jack today," she stated.

This caused the mini fairies to squeal with joy and happiness; they nuzzled their small bodies next to Jack which caused him to giggle a little. He looked happier now much to Tooth's relief, the Tooth Fairy then nodded her head at Phil. The yeti understood what she was trying to say and took Jack into another part of the room but not out of sight from the Guardians as they talked. The small fairies followed them and the Guardians returned to business. They all sat down in their seats as North pulled out several maps along with a feather pen and ink. He started to mark some of the areas on the maps.

"Pitch has been seen by some of our fellow sprits," North stated. "Only this time they saw something that disturbed them."

"What do ya mean disturbed them?" Bunny questioned.

The Tooth Fairy and Sandman looked at their comrade.

"Bunnymund," Tooth addressed. "They said that they saw fearlings."

"And what's different about that?" Bunny asked.

Sand images of fearlings appeared on Sandy's head and a look of fear was on his face as he did so. Bunny noticed how the fearlings looked different than usual, their shapes didn't look human.

"The fearlings are taking different shapes," North said. "They now have animal forms as well."

Bunny's eyes widen.

"What?' Bunny exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that the fearlings now look like animals?"

"Yes," North and Tooth agreed in unison.

Sandy nodded his head in response.

"But that can't be… I thought that only the Man in the Moon and Sandy were capable of such a thing," Bunny stated.

"So did we," Tooth replied. "Apparently that's not the case anymore."

"We should not be surprised though," North said. "Pitch is similar to Sandy when it comes to dream territory as well as abilities only Sandy uses sand to manifest his abilities. Pitch uses darkness."

"That being the case, the spirit world is now worried that he's going to cause more terror in the human world," Tooth stated. "The fearlings main job is to keep an eye on whoever Pitch chooses but they also are his way of making people believe in him. As the Boogeyman he feeds on the fear of Believers. Him being able to make fearlings look more animalistic will certainly bring more fear and therefore create more Believers."

"And his power will increase," Bunny added.

"Exactly," North responded.

Images of children appeared over Sandy's head along with fearlings and Pitch. The sand figures of the children had looks of fear on their faces and the sand fearlings and Pitch grew in size. They Guardians sighed over what Sandy was saying.

"Yes we know that the children's fears and nightmares will make not only Pitch but the fearlings grow stronger as well Sandy," Tooth stated. "Unfortunately we can't really do anything about fear in general though."

"True, we may be Guardians but even we cannot defeat fear itself," North added. "We can only try to remind children that wonder, hope, memories and dreams still exist and can bring joy and happiness. For every bad there is good."

"In other words we keep doing our jobs," Bunny stated. "But we'll have to start dispatching more of these fearlings if we ever come in contact with them especially if Jack is with us."

"The other spirits say that they're going to do the same thing," Tooth said. "They said that it was bad enough when fearlings were invading their territories but now that these new fearlings are amongst us they're not going to stand for it… especially Mother Nature herself."

"She does not like the idea that fearlings are now taking forms of animals," North added. "Mother Nature will not stand for anything that goes against nature. She will no doubt unleash her power onto Pitch."

"Well at least she'll make the job a little more easy but not even Mother Nature herself could stop Pitch," Bunny said as he let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

The spirits couldn't help but feel the Pooka's frustration. In a situation like this there was no clear answer especially when they were dealing with forces that work in their own way or couldn't be stopped. They had to accept the fact that some things will always exist no matter what.

Meanwhile Jack was playing on the floor with Phil and the mini fairies. Phil got his stuffed kangaroo and was using it to tickle Jack; the mini fairies were doing the same thing with the baby kangaroo that came in its pouch. Jack giggled as the mother kangaroo and baby kangaroo tickled his neck and his sides. The yeti and small tooth fairies stopped tickling him in order for him to breathe. Once he was done laughing the mini fairies gave him the smaller kangaroo and he began to play with his toy. He laid on the floor and used the kangaroo hop in the air several times. Phil saw this and made the other kangaroo to hop too. Both mother and baby kangaroos were know hopping as Jack and Phil moved their hands. Jack stopped making the toy hop once he noticed the look of Bunny's face as well as the other Guardian's faces. They looked sad much to his dismay. He wondered what was wrong with them. He made gurgle sounds as he pointed to the Guardians. He began to crawl to them, Phil gasped a little as he saw the baby make his way to the four spirits. He knew that the Guardians were busy talking about something important and whenever that happened they were not to be interrupted. He carefully took Jack into his arms and led them away from the Guardians. Jack began to get fussy as he squirmed in Phil's arms; he wanted to go to the Guardians. He began to whimper and he squirmed some more. The mini fairies quietly chirped the baby, hoping that would calm him down. But Jack wouldn't give up…. he wanted the Guardians. He saw that Bunny was the closest to them and decided to get his attention.

"Ka..." Jack started. "Ka… roo… ka… roo… ka…na… roo… kan… ga… roo. Kangaroo!"

Phil and the mini fairies let out a series of gasps as they heard the words come out of Jack's mouth. Jack spoke! He was talking! He said his first word!

The Guardians were busy thinking about their situation once they heard a small, squeaky voice. It was one they had never heard before and the only beings that were capable of some form of speech were Phil and the mini fairies… but they couldn't speak in actual words. That could only mean one thing. They turned to baby Jack, who was still in Phil's arms, with wide eyes and puzzled expressions. They got slowly got closer. It couldn't be…. could it?

"Jack?" North questioned. "Did you…?"

Jack looked at them straight in the eyes and point to Bunnymund.

"Kangaroo!" Jack exclaimed. "Kangaroo!"

"He… he… he… talked…" Bunny said.

"He can… talk," Tooth added.

Images of baby Jack, a parrot and an exclamation point appeared over Sandy's head. His way of saying that Jack talking was surprising. Instead of Pitch Black being the center of attention it was now Jack with his newfound voice. Jack Frost could talk!

"Jack my boy you can talk!" North cheered as he ran towards the yeti and baby. "You said kangaroo!"

Without another word he took Jack into his arms and started to dance around the room while cheering and laughing.

"You can talk little snowflake!" North exclaimed. "Well done!"

Phil cheered in gibberish and waved his arms in the air with joy.

"Oh we're so proud of you Sweet Tooth!" Tooth said as North handed her the baby. "Your first word! And in an adorable voice too!"

The mini fairies chirped with happiness as they flew around their mother and the baby. Jack giggled as he saw this and as he saw Sandy make a giant happy face with his sand. The Sandman was also clapping and jumping into the air with excitement. That's when Jack caught sight of Bunnymund. He pointed to the Pooka and said his first word again.

"Kangaroo!" he exclaimed. "Kangaroo!"

That's when the entire room froze. They looked at the Guardian of Hope and then back at Jack. They suddenly realized why that was Jack's first word and who he was directing it towards. Big grins and smirks appeared on their faces expect for Bunny's. North was the first to burst out with laughter, he held onto his stomach as he did so.

"Bunny he thinks you kangaroo!" North chuckled.

"What?" Bunny exclaimed.

"It's true, after all he keeps pointing to you when he says it," Tooth giggled along with her mini fairies.

They saw what Tooth was talking about as they could see that Jack was still pointing at Bunny. Sandy nodded his head and he pointed to the Pooka as well, he was silently laughing. Bunny felt his face redden with embarrassment.

"Now where on this world did he get an idea like that? I am not a kangaroo mate!" Bunny argued.

North stopped laughing once he felt his foot step in something; he looked down to see that it was the stuffed kangaroo toy he had made for Jack. He picked it up and Phil immediately started to speak to him in his yeti language. His eyes widen as he understood what was being said to him. He smiled and walked to the Guardian of Hope; once he reached him he showed him the toy.

"Phil says that Jack likes to make kangaroo toy hop… just like you Bunny," North stated.

"Oh that explains why he thinks Bunny is a kangaroo," Tooth said. "Not to mention that you do have several attributes of a kangaroo to Bunnymund."

"Like what?" Bunny asked.

Sandy nodded his head in agreement. He then made a sand image of a kangaroo and the Pooka, he then pointed to the ears and feet.

"You do have big feet and ears Bunny," North commented with a chuckle.

"Okay maybe the feet but I can tell you right now that my ears are bigger than a kanagroo's," Bunny replied.

"Still though, they are big nonetheless," Tooth said then he held the baby to face her. "Isn't that right Sweet Tooth?"

Jack smiled and clapped his hands making Tooth smile.

"Kangaroo," Tooth cooed.

"Kangaroo," Jack squeaked with a giggle.

"Don't encourage him!" Bunny exclaimed.

"Kangaroo," North said as he stood beside Tooth and Jack.

"Kangaroo," Jack repeated.

"Stop it!" Bunny said as his blush got brighter.

Sandy flew over the Guardian of Memories and Wonder and a sand image of Bunny appeared over his head. Jack giggled as he reached for it.

"Kangaroo," Jack squealed.

"Knock it off!" Bunny yelled as he waved his fists in the air.

The three Guardians laughed at their friend as did the yeti and mini fairies. Even if he didn't want to admit it Bunny found it funny too. He was very proud of Jack, he managed to say his first word and it was a word that normal babies never said as their first. Jack was growing up right before their very eyes. He was happy to be a witness to that.

"Here you go Jack, here's' your favorite kangaroo," Tooth said as she flew over to Bunny and handed him the baby.

Jack clapped his hands as he was handed to one of his caretakers and the one who he wanted to catch the attention of. He wrapped his small arms around the Pooka's neck and cooed.

"Kangaroo," he whispered.

Bunnymund just stood there and held the baby close. He could hear the baby's soft breathing and feel the warmth of his small body. He looked at his fellow Guardians; they all had smiles on their faces as they watched the scene in front of them. He then looked back down at the baby. Funny how not too long ago they were worried about Pitch Black and his newfound powers. Now the fear and worry seemed to have melted away. And what caused it? Jack Frost. The little baby who despite being a winter spirit could melt your heart easily. Jack made them forget about the bad and remember the good. The Man in the Moon was right about Jack being the pillar in their group. Bunny couldn't wait until he was older and he see what a fine boy and Guardian Jack would grow up to be.

"Yer going to be a great Guardian ya little ankle biter," Bunny stated. "But I'm still not a kangaroo."

"Kangaroo!" Jack giggled as he nuzzled into the Pooka's fur.

The rest of the Guardians laughed… Bunny did as well. They knew that they would have to deal with Pitch sometime but not right now at least. Especially not at a moment like this. A time when the Guardians could remember that they were a family.

 **I know that it's a little far-fetched to have a baby's first word be "kangaroo" but remember Jack is no ordinary baby. I enjoyed reading all of the guesses as to what Jack's first word would be. The common ones I saw were "fun", "snow", "mama" or "mommy" and "daddy." It was always my intention to have Jack's first word be "kangaroo" though since I thought it was too much of a good opportunity to pass up. Don't worry though Jack will be saying more words soon! Thank you for your reviews everyone. XD**

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 12**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! May you all have a wonderful day and enjoy reading this chapter! XD**

 _Mermaids_

Today was the day, Sandy was going home! It had been a while since he had done so, the last time he did was when Jack was with Bunnymund and even then it was only for a short while. But after receiving news of Pitch Black's new fearlings let's just say that he had a lot on his mind right now. It's gotten to the point where he needed to just sit down and relax even if it was for a small amount of time. That's why he was heading home. However, he wasn't the only one who would be going home… Jack was coming with him as well. This would be the first time that the winter spirit was going to see his home… his island. Right now the little baby giggled as he played with his stuffed kangaroo toy. Sandy quietly chuckled at the memory of Jack's first word: kangaroo. He recalled the look on Bunny's face when he addressed the Pooka as one. It was certainly a cherished memory because they were altogether even if was because something bad was happening… but Jack made something good come out of something bad. He made them happy just by being around.

Now that Jack had said his first word he couldn't stop calling Bunny that, Tooth's encouragement didn't help with that either. In fact when Sandy had picked up Jack at the Tooth Fairy's Palace he saw that she was still letting him to say the word. She would coo at him and he would repeat what she said. She would then chuckle while the mini fairies would squeal and chirp with happiness. Sandman knew that Bunny wouldn't be too happy about that but Sandy felt like he should be honored that he was Jack's first word even if he wasn't a kangaroo. So far Jack had yet to say anything else but the Guardians knew that they shouldn't rush anything. Jack would talk when he was good and ready to.

Sandy sailed through the clouds and flew over the vast ocean. That's right he was sailing through the clouds with a boat made of sand… with a small passenger. Jack found it to be very enjoyable to ride in as they traveled to the island. He clapped his hands while in was in the sling. Jack could feel the cool wind brush pass him and he could smell the fresh water. Sandy smiled as he guided the sand boat to its destination. The Guardian of Dreams couldn't wait for Jack to meet the creatures that were on his island, the beings that had brought him comfort long before Jack's existence and before most of the Guardians were around. They brought him sweet dreams that made him relax and given him the motivation he needed to bring the world the sweet dreams he experienced when he was on his island. He knew that the creatures would dote on Jack just as much as the Guardians did.

Finally the island was in his sights. The Island of Sleepy Sands, his home that was created when a shooting star fell onto the world but it didn't sink or did it explode… instead it formed an island. A desert island. Much like everything else in the Guardians lives only Believers could see the island. It was nothing but dreamsand as far as the eye could see sand that could form anything Sandy wanted if he gave the command. They approached the island with Jack looking on in awe, the baby pointed to the island and made gurgling sounds. He then looked at Sandman as if asking him a question. Sandy looked back at him and an image of him, Jack and island appeared over his head, the sand figures then moved to the sand figure of the island. Jack titled his small head but then cooed and clapped his hands as if to say that he understood. Sandy smiled and then nodded his head, the sand boat traveled faster and it wasn't long before they reached the island. As soon as they reached the sand island the boat disappeared, Sandy and Jack landed slowly and safety on the island. Jack held onto his stuffed animal as Sandy started to fly to one specific part of the island, along the way Jack perked up once he heard the sound of singing. He looked out of his sling and saw several strange looking figures come into view. He had never seen something like it before. He looked at Sandy.

"Kangaroo?" he questioned.

The Guardian of Dreams couldn't help but quietly chuckle as Jack said that, he would have to tell the other Guardians of this. He shook his head and an image of a woman and a fish appeared over his head. jack watched with interest as the sand images suddenly merged together to form one. AT first he didn't quite understand until they got closer to the figures. That's when Jack realized what Sandy had showed him. They were women and they had the tails of fish! He knew Sandy was right when he showed him that they were women. He knew that since Tooth was a woman and he remembered that his mother was a woman as well. He noticed that the women tended to have more delicate features, then again compared to the men in his life anything seemed delicate compared to them. Suddenly the strange figures turned to look at him and Sandman. Jack let out a tiny gasp and held his onto his toy tightly. Sandy could feel Jack's distress and quickly reassured him by lightly bouncing him in his arms; he also took Jack's small hand into his own and stroked it. Jack could feel Sandy soothing him and soon relaxed but he was still wary of the creatures.

The mermaids were busy singing their songs and playing around with the water that surrounded their home that they shared with the Sandman. They had been told by him through a sand message that he was bringing the newest Guardian, Jack Frost, along with him. They were excited to see the little one especially since Sandy never had taken him to his island before. They didn't blame the Guardian of Dreams though, while all of the Guardians worked hard Sandy was the one who had the most responsible placed on him since he was the first Guardian ever to be created and therefore made him the oldest.

" _We must prepare ourselves for their arrival, especially Jack's,"_ Harmonystated _._

" _What do you think he looks like?"_ Cadenza asked.

" _I hear he has hair as white as the snow and eyes as blue as the sky,"_ Melody replied.

" _Well he is a winter spirit after all,"_ Diva stated.

" _I think he looks like North then if that's the case,"_ Piper added.

" _I bet is a cute one,"_ Symphony commented.

" _Well no matter what he looks like we have all promised to take care of him,"_ Opera said.

" _Of course,"_ Sonata responded.

" _That is to be expected,"_ Tempo commented.

" _After all the Man in the Moon has chosen him,"_ Calliope stated.

" _It's not every day that he does so,"_ Madrigal added.

" _It's funny how the Man in the Moon works that way,"_ Violasaid.

The mermaids shared a chuckle and quickly returned to their singing. After a few minutes had gone by one of them noticed something in the far off distance of the island.

" _Oh look I think I see them coming!"_ Harmony exclaimed as she pointed.

The other mermaids looked to where their sister was pointing to see that she was right. Smiles brighten their faces as they saw little Jack in the sling. They clapped their hands as they cheered in the most soothing manner known to any spirit or human. They were finally going to see the famous Jack Frost.

Sandy and Jack flew until they came to a complete stop… right in front of the mermaids. Jack was literally staring face to face at multiple eyes. Eyes that held nothing but gentleness as well as love and care. He had seen such eyes before: the Guardians, the yetis and elves, the mini fairies and… his mother. He noticed how beautiful the creatures were: an assortment of colored eyes and long flowing hair of many colors that danced with the gentle wind. So beautiful indeed. One of the creatures swam forward to him and Sandy. She had long black hair with sea green eyes and pale skin, her green dress like body flowed in the water she was in.

" _Hello Jack Frost,"_ she said. _"My name is Harmony."_

Jack cooed at her soft voice, Harmony smiled and soon her sisters surrounded her to look at Jack. All of their guesses earlier had been proven to be correct.

" _So cute,"_ Symphony commented.

" _So small,"_ Piper added.

" _So strong,"_ Tempo said.

Even though Jack didn't have his powers yet Tempo could tell that the little one in front of her was strong. He was strong when it came to family; the mermaids had heard the tales of Jack being the pillar for the Guardians. They wondered how he would be when he was older and when it was time for him to take his place as a Guardian. Without another second to spare Harmony held out her arms towards the baby while looking Sandy.

" _May I?"_ Harmony asked.

Sandy nodded his head and took Jack out of the sling, at first jack held onto him. Jack wasn't use to other people and after the whole fiasco with Pitch Black at the North Pole let's just say that jack had every right to be nervous around others. After all his time with the Guardians he never forgot about the face of the Boogeyman himself. He looked at Sandy with worry in his blue eyes. The Guardian of Dreams just smiled at him and stroked his white hair. A sand image of the mermaids and the Guardians appeared over his head, then a sand arrow led from the mermaids to the Guardians. Sandy's way of telling Jack that the mermaids were like the Guardians: they would never hurt him and they would take care of him just like the Guardians. Jack looked at the sand images and then back to the mermaids. They certainly didn't look like they were mean and they certainly didn't look anything like that mean man who scared him when he was at North's home. He saw that the black haired and sea green eyed woman was holding her arms out to him. He was still in Sandy's arms but he reached out to the woman, he left his kangaroo in the sling as he did so.

Harmony was happy that Jack was reaching out to her; she gently took him into her loving arms and held him tightly. Jack noticed how her arms felt so similar to Tooth's and his mother, in the short time he knew her he remembered and cherished her loving embrace. This woman was the same; he believed her name was Harmony. Soon the other women gathered around him. All of their gazes held nothing but love for the little one in Harmony's arms.

" _What a fine boy he is,"_ Viola said.

" _Indeed,"_ Calliope responded.

" _I can see why the Main in the Moon chose him,"_ Sonata stated.

" _He has the looks of a winter spirit alright,"_ Tempo said.

" _One day he will be a Guardian,"_ Diva commented.

" _I wonder what his center will be,"_ Melody replied.

" _Only time will tell,"_ Madrigal said.

" _Whatever his center will be there is no doubt that he will be a strong Guardian,"_ Operastated.

" _We can see that,"_ Cadenza added.

" _Of course he will be a strong Guardian,"_ Piper commented.

" _Oh he's so perfect,"_ Symphony said.

The mermaids all agreed with one another, Harmony brushed his bangs away so she could get a good look at Jack's eyes. She saw how blue they were and how they looked as if they could solve all of the mysteries in the world and they could see all of the wonders in the world too. All of the wonders, dreams, hopes and memories of the world. All of this was inside the eyes of one tiny baby known as Jack Frost. He didn't have official powers now and yet what an incredible power he had. Harmony brought Jack closer to her and kissed his forehead. As a result Jack smiled at her, showing off several little teeth. He waved his arms at harmony and giggled. He was happy to be with these people, they reminded him a lot of his Guardian family.

" _Harmony,"_ Tempo addressed.

Harmony turned her attention from Jack back to her sister.

" _Pass Jack around, we all want to have a chance to hold and see this beautiful baby,"_ Tempo stated with a smile.

" _Yes sister we all want to see him,"_ Opera said. _"He's almost a year old let's make up the time we haven't had with him."_

" _Yes of course,"_ Harmony said as she passed Jack to her sister Tempo.

Tempo gathered Jack in her arms and started to coo at him in her calming voice. The sisters then gathered around her as did Harmony. They all wanted their turn with Jack. Jack didn't seem to mind the attention he was receiving; Sandy couldn't help but recall how Tooth had called Jack a heartbreaker at one point. He smiled and silently laughed.

He watched with happiness as he mermaids continued to coo and spoil Jack. Tempo passed Jack onto Symphony, then to Cadenza, to Viola, Opera, Sonata, Calliope, Diva, Madrigal, Melody and finally Piper. All of them got a chance to hold and see Jack. The littlest Guardian cooed and giggled as he was passed onto every different mermaid, he took the time to memorize which woman was who depending on their looks since all of them wore a sea green dress that became their tail.

Harmony had black hair with sea green eyes.

Tempo possessed black hair and hazel eyes; a beauty mark was placed under her right eye.

Madrigal had auburn hair and evergreen eyes; seaweed was wrapped around her head in a loose band.

Symphony had white blond hair with dark blue eyes.

Piper possessed red hair with stormy gray eyes

Calliope possessed sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes, freckles decorated her face.

Diva had black hair and light blue eyes, two small sand dollars were on both sides of her hair.

Melody had light brown hair with hazel eyes.

Sonata had blonde hair and brown eyes, one beauty mark was above her left eyebrow and another was on the right side of her chin.

Viola possessed dark brown hair with gray eyes; a sea shell was placed on the left side of her hair.

Opera had black hair and sky blue eyes; a pearl bracelet was on each of her wrists.

Cadenza possessed auburn hair with hazel eyes, four starfish were arranged into a necklace on her neck.

He took noticed of all of their features and tried his best to keep up with all of their names. The one thing they all had in common was their kind gazes, soft voices and loving embraces. He nuzzled into Piper's arms and yawned a little.

Sandy noticed Jack yawn and he gave the mermaids a familiar look, it was a look that they were all too familiar with. He only gave them that look whenever it was time for him to rest and he wanted them to lull him to sleep. This especially would come in handy today since he was stressed out due to Pitch Black's recent stir of events that were causing trouble in the spirit world. He now saw that jack could use a little of that magic too. The mermaids nodded their heads before looking at each other.

"Shall we?" Piper asked.

"We shall," the others said in unison.

With that they cleared their throats and a song began to form. Jack gasped a little as the song he was hearing earlier returned. The mermaids were singing to Jack and Sandy. They had an audience of two this time instead of their regular one. Piper rocked Jack back and forth and back and forth in a gentle manner. Jack yawned again as she did so while the song filled the air. That's when Sandy took Jack's kangaroo out of the sling in order to change it into a cradle. He placed the sling on the land in the middle of the mermaids' favorite spot to gather together. He placed a hand on the sling and used his mind to change it into a cradle. As stated before the cradles were created to match the realms of the Guardians. North's was a regular wooden cradle with winter designs on it, Bunny's was a cradle that resembled half of an Easter egg with spring designs on it, Tooth's was one that resembled on of the tooth boxes she had expect without the ability to close like the real tooth boxes with designs that matched her realm while his was a giant sea shell. The mermaids continued to sing as Piper gently placed Jack in the sea shell cradle.

Jack laid down in his cradle, his eyes were getting heavier and heavier by the second as the mermaids sung their relaxing song. The mermaids gathered around him, they continued to sing and Sandman leaned in closer to place a bit of dream sand on him. Once the sand was poured onto the little Guardian he fell asleep and Sandy placed the stuffed kangaroo in his arms. Jack's soft breathing filled the air as he held tightly on his toy that was given to him by North.

With Jack asleep it was time for Sandy to rest as well, he motioned for the mermaids to continue singing as they prepared his bed that was similar to Jack's in appearance. His sea shell was made and he laid down on it as the mermaids sang. He looked at Jack one last time and he smiled as his eyes closed. He entered sleep with the mermaids watching over them. He was happy that the mermaids had finally met Jack and now that they had he was planning on brining Jack there to his home more often. his only regret was that he didn't do it sooner but then again most of the other spirits in the spirit world had yet to meet Jack too. The reason for this being that the Guardians wanted Jack to become familiar with them and their realms before they introduced him to any of the other spirits. The fact that Jack was still young also played a part in this reason as well. They wanted to wait until he was a little older for him to meet any of the other spirits; honestly that day would probably be sooner than they though since Jack was almost going to be a year old. All of the Guardians knew that it would only be matter of time before the rest of spirits would ask to meet him. But in the meantime they would enjoy Jack's company and their little family before anyone else got to formally meet Jack.

The mermaids sang their song until both Jack and Sandy were asleep. They watched over the pair and kept them safe. They were happy that they finally got to meet Jack after so long. The little boy showed so much promise as a Guardian; they knew that he was going to be a great addition when the time came. Until then he was just a baby that they had to watch over an protect, they were a part of his family too after all especially after today.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 13**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Dadda_

Jack was at it again. He was crying. For a baby his age that wasn't new or strange but it was one of those crying fits that didn't seem to end no matter how long it went on. Jack was perfectly fine, there was no reason for him to cry and there was no reason for him to be upset. He was healthy, he was clean, he was fed, he was well rested and he was in the company of family. What could possibly be wrong with the little one?

He was at the North Pole at the moment as it was North's turn to watch him and he was in the Guardian of Wonder's office. North had taken a break from checking his list even though he really shouldn't as Christmas was around the corner but Jack needed him right now. The baby Guardian was currently in the comfort of his cradle balling his eyes out with his tiny hands in fists. North was leaning over him shaking a handmade rattle that had snowflake and snowmen designs on it, he was trying to get the winter spirit to laugh.

"Calm down Jack, please stop crying," North soothed. "You're alright."

Jack ignored the Guardian of Wonder and continued to cry and cry. Not even his favorite stuffed toy kangaroo could soothe him at this moment… North tried and tried using it to calm him down but to no avail. He honestly didn't know what to do or what was going on with Jack.

"Oh little snowflake what's wrong?" North asked. "Tell your favorite Santa Claus."

He was hoping that Jack would answer using a new word instead of using "kangaroo" but it proved to be in vain as cries just came out of Jack's mouth instead of words. Jack had yet to say any new words recently but he hoped today would be different. But Jack's eyes were squeezed shut as he continued to cry, his cries filled the air and could be heard throughout the rest of the workshop. The elves and yetis were working and they could the sorrowful cries of the baby Guardian. Some tried their best to ignore it but much like North's efforts it wasn't working. They were just as confused as to why Jack was crying as North, they were starting to get worried.

The little baby was crying his heart out as more tears slipped out of his blue eyes. He wasn't crying because he was sad or because he wanted something. No, today was something of a rarity for him. He was crying… because he was scared. He had the worst of dreams just early this morning. The strange part about it happened so suddenly. He went from dreaming about playing in the snow with his family to darkness, shadows, despair… and death. That was especially the worst part. He saw a faceless man that was being dragged into cracked ice, water was underneath him. He witnessed the man being dragged to his death by water, he drowned in ice water. His screams were filled with agony and it was almost like he was calling out to him but he couldn't move. He couldn't do anything… not even scream. He was helpless. He didn't even know who the man was and yet he felt a connection to him. The dream, no the nightmare, caused his crying fit right now. He couldn't stop, his heart was still pounding from the fear he was experiencing.

North finally gave up using the rattle, he placed it down and rubbed his forehead. He let out a sigh and tried to think of another way to get Jack to calm down. He tried just about everything at this point including using Jack's favorite music box. A soothing lullaby couldn't fix this. He let out another sigh and rubbed his eyes. Just then an idea came to him, if this didn't work he didn't know what would. Anything was worth a try at this point though. He stood up and leaned into the cradle to gently pick Jack up. He cradled the crying baby in his arms and began to rock him as he started to walk out of his office. The yetis and elves noticed an increase in volume for Jack's cries. They all stopped working to see North heading outside with the baby in tow. They couldn't help but wonder what North was thinking or planning but hopefully it would ease Jack's sorrow.

Once outside the cold air hit North and Jack, Jack noticed the sudden change in temperature enough to lower his cries and open his eyes to see what had happened. His eyes widen once he saw that he was outside North's workshop. Snow covered mountains and piles of snow and ice were all the eye could see. Little snow flurries were falling through the cold air and landed gently on the ground only to disappear within the thick layers of snow and frost. The North Pole was located on a large ice mountain and a large forest covered in snow was at the bottom of it and there were several small lakes, ponds and streams that normally had thin layers of frost over them. A few other animals lived around this area such as reindeer, bears, wolves, hares, moose, foxes and owls.

"Do you like what you see little snowflake?" North questioned. "This is your domain. Winter, frost, ice, snow… all of it yours."

Normally North didn't Jack outside especially after the whole incident involving Pitch Black when jack was only a few weeks old and when he stayed at the North Pole for the first time. He kept Jack close to him and the yetis and elves ever since, he didn't allow anyone to take him outside… at least not until Jack was older. This was especially true after the news of Pitch's fearlings growing more powerful reached them. But today he would make an exception. He wasn't worried about the cold weather since Jack was a winter spirit similar to him and the cold never affected them, the same is said for all winter spirits. He held onto Jack wa6s he started to step in the snow. Jack's cries slowly started to disappear a snow flurry fell onto his nose; his cries were now sniffles as he touched the snow flurry on his nose. It was cool to the touch but at the same time he found it soothing. He cooed a little and stretched his small arm out. He allowed several snow flurries to fall on his palm, North smiled at the action.

"That snow Jack," North stated. "You like?"

Jack cooed and North gently wiped away the streams of tears that had stained his pale face.

"I'm happy to see that you've stopped crying," he said. "What brought it on little snowflake?"

Jack cooed and made gurgle sounds in response; he was busy paying attention to the snow around him. It was just like his dream; he was playing in the snow with Guardians when it had gone to bad. Looking at it now he remembered why he liked it and why it brought him joy. He was home when there was snow and frost around him. It reminded him of where it all began. He was left in snow, he was found in snow, he was surrounded by snow… he was snow. He was a winter spirit and therefore he was an embodiment of its elements and one of those elements included snow. He felt his fears melt away as more snow fell on him. He started to giggle and clap his hands, he was happy.

"There's the little snowflake Guardians and I love so much!" North exclaimed as he held Jack high above him.

Jack giggled some more as North lifted him into the air; he waved his arms and legs in a happy manner.

"Good baby," North said as he brought Jack to him.

He hugged the future Guardian. Jack buried his face into North's shoulder and nuzzled into the warmth, he could hear North's heartbeat as well. A soothing melody to hear especially for right now. After all of his crying he had grown tired and that made him recall the nightmare he had concerning the faceless man. He didn't know who he was and he didn't know his name but for some reason he pictured the title of that person in his head. Jack wondered if that was the same title North had as well just because North was a warm presence in his life… him along with Bunnymund and Sandman. They all had the same effect on him; he couldn't help but wonder if the same title applied to them as well. He didn't quite fully understand what the title meant but it must have been something important seeing as how he had it in his mind. The title was now all he could think about when it came to North, Bunny and Sandy. He wondered…

"Dadda," Jack said.

North's eyes widen at the sound of a familiar voice, the same voice he had and the other Guardians had grown to adore especially when that voice started to form its first word not too long ago. He carefully removed Jack from his hug and held him out so he was facing him face to face. Jack had a big smile on his face and his arms were reaching out towards him as if to say to let him have another hug.

"Dadda!" Jack squealed.

"Jack… you… you said 'Dadda'… you think… that I'm…" North stuttered.

He couldn't believe his ears; Jack was addressing him by a title that belonged to a father. Jack considered him to be one! The fact that no one had taught him such as word and yet here he was saying it to him made his heart and spirit warm. Tears welled up in his eyes and he struggled on to let them fall but they did anyway. Jack saw the tears and reached out to them, he managed to get enough to pat them away.

"Dadda," he whispered in a worried tone.

"It's okay Jack… I'm okay… just happy that's all… and proud," North said. "I'm very proud of you Jack Frost."

"Dadda!" Jack exclaimed with excitement.

With that North brought Jack into another hug, Jack's little arms wrapped around North's neck. He snuggled into the hug and allowed for his eyes to close, he was tired still and he wanted to go to sleep. He wasn't afraid to sleep now; he knew that North was there for him as were the rest of the Guardians, elves, yetis, the protectors of Bunny's Warren, the mini fairies and mermaids. They were all there for him even when he wasn't awake. He knew that and he now understood that as well. He understood very well. He fell asleep with a smile on his face. North could feel Jack slump in his embrace but his arms were still wrapped around his neck.

"Dadda…" Jack whispered in his sleep.

"Yes Jack… I can be your father in place of your real father," North stated firmly. "Just as Bunnymund can be your father and Sandy can be your father as well. But they aren't only ones though, there's Phil and the other yetis along with the elves and the protectors of Bunny's Warren. We can all be your father because we love you. Never forget that little snowflake."

He caressed Jack's white hair and decided to go back inside so Jack could get a proper rest especially after all that crying he did earlier. As they entered inside his workshop North whispered one last thing to Jack.

"Pleasant dreams Jack."

Little did North realize or know that he was being watched. Not just him but Jack as well. In the shadows was a slim figure with a black robe and gray skin with piercing silver-gold eyes. He had a scowl on his face as he had finished witnessing the scene before him. He had failed.

"Curse that Guardian of Wonder and the love these Guardians have for each other!" Pitch growled. "It seems like it was will take more than just one horrendous nightmare to corrupt that boy, the Man in the Moon gave him power even before he has unlocked it. Power to resist my control… but for how long I wonder."

He then looked up at the sky and while there was no moon out yet he still said what was on his mind.

"You can't protect him forever Man in the Moon, that child will be your undoing as well as those Guardians of yours. One day I shall corrupt him, one day!"

Suddenly a small fly made out of nightmare sand flew into Pitch's palm, indeed his plan had failed. Jack's will power proved to be too strong even as a baby but he wasn't going to let that stop him from reaching his goal. But for now he took his leave and disappeared back into the darkness.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 14**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _Momma_

"Peek a boo!" Tooth exclaimed. "Peek a boo!"

Today was a rare day; Tooth took a break from her work just to play with the future Guardian. Jack giggled while he was in his cradle, his little fists waved in the air and every once and a while he would clap them as Tooth went on with her game. Some of the mini fairies decided to join in on the fun during their breaks from collecting and putting away teeth. They chirped and giggled as well.

"Peek a boo!" Tooth said. "Peek a boo!"

Tooth would hide her face with her palm s and then suddenly reveal herself to the baby Guardian much to Jack's amusement. He would laugh, clap and wave his arms in the air as she did so; it was a cute sight to see. The mini fairies would also do the same with their tiny hands over their small faces.

"Where am I?" the Tooth Fairy asked. "Here I am!"

Jack cooed and laughed some more; he was enjoying his time with the Guardian of Dreams. Tooth always loved to hear Jack laugh; it never ceased to warm her heart and spirit. Because of her status and job as a Guardian, Tooth never really got the chance to interact with babies or children. In fact none of the Guardians really did expect for a few encounters. Bunny and North were really the ones who got to interact with children more than her and Sandy since they couldn't be everywhere at once, she had her mini fairies and Sandy's dreamsand could spread for miles. Because of that children didn't see them as much as the other two Guardians. North and Bunnymund were able to stay in one place for longer time than them and that's why children would often caught a glimpse of them or actually get to interact with them from time to time.

"Who's a good little Guardian?" Tooth questioned. "Yes you, you are!"

She picked him up and held him high in the air; she then gently spun him around as she flew. The mini fairies would follow her as she did so. Jack would clap and hug the Tooth Fairy's neck. He nuzzled his face into her feather s, she was so warm and he could hear her heart beat. It was just like the other Guardians, soothing and relaxing. He loved listening to them since they reminded him of a woman from his past. His mother. Even if he was a baby and couldn't remember her face too well due to the short amount of time he was with her, he remembered the sound of her heart beating. He remembered how she held him and her warmth as well. That's how he knew that he could trust the Guardians and their allies; they reminded him of the person who brought him into the world and the one who saved him from a terrible fate and by giving him a new future full of possibilities. Ironically he didn't realize this… at least not yet.

"You're such a good little boy Jack," Tooth said. "Even if you can be a little mischievous at times."

Jack titled his head as if he was saying that she didn't know what she was talking about, he also gave her an innocent look.

"That's right little mister I'm talking about you," Tooth said as she poked his nose. "I've seen how you like to eat and how you like to act all innocent."

Jack cooed and she kissed his forehead to which Jack returned by softly kissing her cheek. She hugged him before she flew down and place Jack back into his cradle where she started to play with his stuffed kangaroo, she made it hop and kiss his cheeks.

"Kangaroo!" Jack squealed. "Dadda! Kangaroo!"

"Yes, yes I know that you call North, Bunny and Sandy by that now," Tooth cooed. "Oh Jack it's good to hear that you say that word though. I know it makes them happy to hear you say that even if… even if…"

Tooth didn't have the heart to finish her sentence; she didn't like to be reminded that jack didn't have his real parents in his life not by choice though. She was sure that if life was kinder and if people were kinder in general they would have allowed Jack's mother to keep him despite the circumstances of his conception and birth. It made her heart hurt every time she thought about his mother.

How did she feel right now? Was she happy or at least as happy as she could be? Did she miss Jack? Did she cry for him? Did she have any other children now? Did she forget about him? So many questions ran through her mind right now concerning his mother, she didn't even know her name and yet she couldn't help but have these kinds of feelings. That's when she got an idea, she could find out her name. Jack's mother had been a child a one point so that meant that she had baby teeth… teeth that fell out years ago. All she needed was one tooth to see every memory in that person's life, even when those children grew up she could still see their memories as an adult. She had to find Jack's mother, she didn't normally do this but today she had to make an exception. If she could find these answers then she would let go of her anxieties in order to be fully committed to raising Jack along with her comrades. Without hesitation she took Jack into her and ordered the cradle to change back into a sling. She then placed Jack in it.

"Let's go Jack we're on a mission," Tooth declared and then she turned to the mini fairies that were with her at the moment. "Girls follow me!"

The mini fairies saw the look of determination on her face and they nodded their heads. The Tooth Fairy and her helpers started to fly into the direction that had all the tooth boxes with Jack in tow. Jack yawned a little as they flew, all that playing with Tooth and the mini fairies earlier had made him tired as he began to shut his eyes. He yawned once more before taking a nap in the sling that held him. The Guardian of Dreams and the mini fairies didn't pay attention to this as they reached their destination.

"Alright, gather all the girls who live in Pennsylvania and then look for the ones who specifically live in Burgess ," Tooth demanded. "Look to see if anyone of them became a mother in the past year when you look through their memories."

The mini fairies nodded their heads again and began to look for what their mother asked for. Tooth did the same. The looked and looked, every time they found a dead end they would put the tooth box back in its place. It was almost like a library at this point especially with what they were doing. Every girl had a different set of memories as they continued to search until Tooth came across one that got her attention. The mini fairies stopped searching once they saw their mother paying extra attention to one of the tooth boxes. Tooth didn't notice this as the memories were filling her eyes and mind.

Tooth saw a girl who was born to the head of the village but lost her mother at a young age. She eventually grew up into a beautiful young woman and got married at her father's insistence and to a man her father choose for her to marry. She then saw memories of that woman loving her husband only because of the marriage and yet loving another man, a man she became more infatuated with as time went on. She started to love him more than her husband due to his kindness until tragedy struck. Her father and husband found out about the affair and were about to chase the man out of the village despite her pleas until they discovered that he had drowned in the lake. By that time it was too late for them to do anything about it until they discovered that she was pregnant. Pregnant with another man's child. They wouldn't allow it and neither would the rest of the village due to the status of her father; her pleas were useless as she was forbidden to keep the child. Memories of tears and feelings of heartbreak accompanied such a tragedy. Then memories of her belly growing and her smiles whenever she touched it or felt the baby move followed. Tooth saw the genuine look of happiness in her eyes when she was pregnant. Nine months passed until the memory of the baby being born happened, her child resembled her lover and she was happy about that until the looks of her father and husband caused her great sadness once again as she walked to the end of the village and into the snowy forest to give up her child. She had named him Jack and was the only one who knew about it. More tears and sadness came as she kissed her son one last time and prayed for someone to protect him before going back to her home to be greeted by her father and husband. She went into her room at first and cried until she could cry no more. She didn't speak to anyone for a while and on that same day Tooth watched as she went to the porch with a blanket and a staff that was the one the Man in the Moon had given to North for safe keeping. Then the cloud wolves came into the memories, her shock and amazement was shown as the cloud wolves took the staff and showed her the sky. She saw Jack's name written in stars with the name "Frost" at the end of it. Tears came again only this time they were tears of joy and happiness over the fact that her child was alive and well. Memories of her joy appeared, she was still happy but only because she knew her child was out there and was safe. She barley talked to her father and husband anymore though, she kept to herself when it came to her family now but she made up for it by still being kind to everyone in the village and keeping the memories of her pregnancy and son with her despite everything that has happened. She never uttered her son's name out loud; she only did that when she was alone. She missed him all the time and prayed for his happiness as that was the only thing she could do at this point but nevertheless she never forgot him and even until today she still loved him.

Tears welled up in Tooth's pink eyes as she finished looking at the memories; she allowed them to fall as she smiled. She was content now with what she had found and she closed the tooth box, she slowly put it away and turned to the mini fairies with the same smile and tears. They all looked at her with worried expressions on their small faces. They chirped and flew closer to her.

"It's alright," she said. "I'm fine… just fine now."

She wiped away the tears and looked down at Jack to finally notice that he was napping. She chuckled a little.

"She never forgot," Tooth stated with happiness in her tone. "Even today she still remembers him and she still loves him as much as when he was still in her womb. She's a good mother… a really good mother."

She picked up Jack from the sling and hugged him while he was still napping. At the sudden movement Jack's eyes started to open, he rubbed his eyes to see that he was in the embrace of the Tooth Fairy. He cooed, that caught Tooth's attention as she brought him to look at her.

"You're going to be a great Guardian Jack," she stated firmly. "I know she would be proud of you too."

Jack cooed and looked at the woman whom he considered to be important, important like North, Bunny, Sandy, the yetis, the elves, the mini fairies, the eggs and the mermaids. She considered them all to be important and wondered what title would be used for Tooth. She was a woman like the one who held him for the first time in his life. It was then that he thought of the title, it was the opposite of the one he used to describe the others.

"Momma!" Jack squealed as he hugged the Tooth Fairy.

Tooth felt her heart stop for a moment as Jack spoke again using a different word and using it to address her. She froze as did the mini fairies, they gasped once they heard Jack speak. Tooth held onto the baby as he continued to hug her. Tooth was speechless for a few seconds before she regained her senses.

"What?" she asked. "What did you say Jack?"

"Momma!" Jack cooed. "Momma!"

Tears poured down her cheeks as she heard Jack say it again. She kissed him again and caressed his white hair. Jack cooed some more and he giggled too as she started to slowly fly around with him.

"I may not be your mother but I can still love you like one," Tooth said. "Thank you Jack… thank you for being born."

"Momma!" Jack replied.

She was happy and now she knew how his mother felt, she was happy to have a chance like that with Jack. She was happy that she got to be someone that important to him as well. He was the best thing that ever happened to the Guardians; she hoped that he would one day realize that. As she flew downward she remembered Jack's mother. She remembered her face as well as her name. Lynn.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 15**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 _First Steps_

Bunny was collecting the day's produce from the gardens as they were ready to be picked and put away. He also had to tend to the other gardens that held flowers and other plants such as those. Jack was sitting next to him on the ground playing with the tiny eggs that had yet to be painted; he always waited for the beginning of a new year before he started preparing for Easter. Besides the last months of the year were his time to truly relax and let duties fall on North and the other winter spirits from around the world. He suddenly remembered that one day such duties would fall on Jack once he was old enough to obtain his powers. He turned to see Jack giggling as the tiny eggs climbed all over him. He chuckled a little before placing one of the eggs on his head; Jack clapped his hands as the egg began to play with his hair.

"Kangaroo Dadda!" Jack squealed.

"Ya little ankle biter, I'm not a kangaroo," Bunny commented as he tickled Jack's stomach.

Jack giggled some more.

"Kangaroo Dadda!" Jack cooed.

Bunnymund smiled at the little Guardian, he then placed the egg that was on his head on the ground and he ruffled Jack's white hair. Jack placed his small hands on Bunny's paw as if telling him to continue ruffling his hair. After several seconds of this Bunny went back to collecting the produce, he made a reminder to pack more of Jack's favorite mashed up foods before he went to the next Guardian. Jack continued to play with the eggs, during this time he paid extra attention to their legs. It always amazed him how small their legs were and how they carried a body such as the eggs'. They were able to move so fast too, he wondered how they did it. He then noticed how his legs were the same in a way. They were small especially compared to his caretakers; he then recalled how the mini fairies were the same as the eggs. They had small legs and yet they were able to get around from place to place. He wondered if he was the same, would he be able to use his legs in the same manner as everyone else. Or would he just crawl around and be the way he was forever? He didn't want that, he wanted to be to do more things other than just crawl. He wanted to be able to do things like the Guardians did. He pouted a little as he watched the eggs move around him. He wanted to do that too. He noticed how they were traveling further away from him; they wanted him to catch them. Normally he would crawl to them but he wanted to catch up to them quickly. He couldn't do that though at least not with his crawling. He made gurgling sounds and he started to crawl to them, he stopped after a while and watched how they were able to move around. Their legs stood up while his touched the ground. He had to stand up… he had to. He struggled to get on his legs; he grunted and used his arms to push him upwards. He used all of his strength as he did so; he continued to struggle though since he couldn't get his balance. He cooed as he tried to get his feet on the ground instead of his legs. Jack finally managed to stand up but he struggled to keep it that way. He felt his legs give way as he collapsed to the ground; he let out a small whimper.

Bunny was just finishing up when his sensitive hearing caught a familiar sound; he turned to see Jack on the ground with some of the eggs surrounding him in a worried manner. Jack was whimpering!

"Jack!" Bunny exclaimed as he ran over to the baby. "Are ya alright Jack?"

Jack cooed and whimpered some more as Bunny picked him up; he brought Jack close to himself.

"What were ya trying to do ya little ankle biter?" Bunny questioned.

"Kangaroo Dadda," Jack whimpered.

"There, there yer alright Jack," Bunny said as he rubbed Jack's back.

Jack hugged Bunny's neck and allowed the Guardian of Hope to comfort him, he whimpered some more before wanting to be placed down again. He wiggled in Bunny's arms to show this, Bunnymund understood and placed the baby down on the ground. As soon as he was there he struggled to stand up again, he grunted and used his arms for balance. Bunny's eyes widen once he saw what Jack was trying to do.

"Jack, ya little ankle biter, are you trying to walk?" Bunny questioned.

Jack just looked at him before finally managing to stand up on his feet, they wiggled a little but he didn't fall down.

"Here Jack let me help you get a head start," Bunny said as he leaned down next to him. "Here like this."

He took Jack's tiny hands into his own and held them gently. Jack allowed for Bunny to do this, he was able to get his balance because of the action.

"Alright now move one foot forward, like this," Bunny stated.

Bunny showed him using his own foot; Jack nodded and did as he was told. He saw that everyone walked like this too.

"Good, now move the other foot forward, like this," Bunny instructed.

Bunny moved his other foot and Jack did the same.

"Now just keep going," Bunny stated.

Bunny moved his feet forward and Jack followed his example, Bunnymund made sure to walk slowly and wait for Jack to catch up. He continued to hold onto his hands as he did so.

"Kangaroo Dadda!" Jack exclaimed with happiness in his voice.

"Good job Jack," Bunny complimented.

Jack cooed and continued to walk; he saw that the little eggs were following him the Guardian of Hope. He laughed as he watched them walk ahead of him and he started to let go of Bunny's hands, he started to walk using his own balance. Bunny saw this and slowly let him go. Jack was walking on his own! He was walking and taking his first steps! He walked beside the small eggs and giggled, he was doing it. He was doing it on his own.

"Way to go Jack!" Bunny exclaimed as he watched Jack walk. "Ya did it!"

Jack cooed and finally he reached the end, he gently stopped beside a smooth rock with the small eggs with him. He giggled and clapped his hands.

"Ya know the other Guardians need to see this," Bunny commented. "Let's call them up shall we Jack?"

Jack cooed and Bunny walked over to him, he took Jack into his arms and went over to a pond that had rainbow colors for water. He placed his paw to the water and that sent ripples throughout the pond. All the Guardians had their way of calling each other: North had the aurora borealis, Bunny had rainbows, Tooth had a jade and pink dawn sky and Sandy had golden clouds.

Suddenly giant rainbows appeared within view of the other three Guardians, they were busy doing their work until they got Bunnymund's signal. They knew that Jack was with him at the moment and they feared the worst now. They normally didn't contact each other through their signals without a good reason. Was Jack hurt? Did something bad happen? Were they okay? Was it Pitch? They immediately responded and traveled quickly to his realm. They were there in minutes and saw that everything was fine; Jack was waving at them while Bunny was smiling at them. They also saw that there were numerous little eggs surrounding them. They let out a sigh of relief when they saw this, nothing seemed to be wrong but they were now confused as to why they were called there.

"Hello my little Sweet Tooth," Tooth cooed as she flew to him.

"Momma!" Jack squealed.

The mini fairies flew around him and started to place gentle kisses on his face, he giggled at their actions. The Guardian of Memories then looked at Bunny.

"Bunny why did you call for us if there's no emergency?" she asked.

"Indeed," North stated. "Why call us when no emergency is happening?"

Sandy nodded his head in agreement.

"Because there is something ya need to see," Bunny stated. "Everyone stand back."

Puzzled expressions were on their faces but they did as they were told. Bunny kneeled down with Jack still in his arms.

"Alright Jack go to North," Bunny whispered to him.

Jack clapped his hands in response before he was placed down on the ground, immediately Jack stood up which caused the other Guardians to gasp but they didn't say anything as Jack took a step forward. They just watched in awe, they were literally speechless as Jack took another step forward. He was using his small arms to balance himself, several times it looked like he was going to fall but he managed to keep his balance as he continued to walk. He cooed and gurgled as he walked to North; the Guardian of Wonder kneeled down and opened his arms to the little future Guardian. Jack continued to walk and walk until finally he entered North's arms. As soon as he did North hugged him and gently threw him into the air and caught him which made Jack giggled.

"Dadda!" Jack giggled.

"You walk little snowflake! You walk!" North shouted with joy.

"Your first steps!" Tooth exclaimed. "You took your first steps! We're so proud of you Jack!"

Sand images of a Jack walking appeared over Sandman's head and he flew into the air, he clapped his hands and quietly shouted for joy. The mini fairies chirped and danced happily in the air.

"What did I tell ya?" Bunny said. "It was something ya really needed to see.

"Yes it was," North stated. "Jack can walk now, how time flies."

"It seems like only yesterday he was still in his cradle and staring at the mobile you made for him North," Tooth added.

North nodded and a sand image of Jack growing appeared over his head.

"Yes he is growing up mate," Bunny agreed. "It won't be long before he starts getting his powers too, remember that the Man in the Moon said that Jack won't be getting his powers until he is two years old."

"And he's almost a year old now," Tooth said.

"Jack is growing a fine boy though, there are so many things we have to teach him," North stated. "No matter how old he gets he will always be our responsibility."

"That goes without saying mate," Bunny said as he walked to the other Guardians. "We will always be his protectors."

"Always," Tooth whispered as she nuzzled the boy's head.

Sandy nodded and ruffled Jack's hair making Jack coo in response.

"Now let's see how far this little ankle biter can walk," Bunnymund commented.

"I agree!" Tooth cheered as she took Jack into her arms.

She then placed him on the floor.

"Come one Sweet Tooth walk to me," she said as she flew to another side of Bunny's Warren. "Come to Momma!"

"Momma!" Jack cooed as he stood up.

The other Guardians watched as Jack started to walk to Tooth with the mini fairies flying beside him. He reached Tooth and she wasted no time taking him into her arms and started to fly around with him before she placed him back on the ground. Jack then walked to Sandy who had multiple sand images of joy and happiness over his head as Jack reached him. Jack continued to walk to all of the Guardians for several minutes until he grew tired and started to rest his eyes in Bunnymund's arms. Sandy gave Jack good dreams of him walking and spending time with the Guardians just like he did today, those were the dreams he found that Jack enjoyed most of all.

As Jack slept the Guardians couldn't help but realize that their little boy was growing right before their eyes, the helpless baby that came to them months ago was now growing into a boy and soon he would be a young adult. And he would stay that way forever. They came to the realization that Jack would forever be a young adult as a sixteen year old. They wondered if they could handle a sixteen year old Jack when the time came… and a sixteen year old Jack forever.

They welcomed the challenge.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 16**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! May you all have a wonderful day and enjoy the chapter! XD**

 _Merry Christmas_

Today was the day, North's holiday. Christmas. That one word was enough to send the Guardian of Wonder into a never ending world of happiness and excitement. He was currently packing the sleigh with all of the presents that the yetis had made along with a sack full of coal; the elves had helped with decorating the sleigh. He also packed two empty sacks for when he traveled through the chimneys. This Christmas Eve North had a new little passenger in the sleigh. His name is Jack Frost.

"Alright we're all set and ready to go for tonight!" North cheered. "Now where is Jack?"

"Dadda!" Jack cooed.

North turned to see Jack in the arms of Phil the yeti, Jack was wearing a little Santa suit that was the color blue instead of red. The suit had been a gift from the yetis and elves, the yetis did the sewing while the elves did the decorations.

"Come here little snowflake," North said as he opened his arms.

Phil handed Jack to North, Jack waved his arms and clapped his hands once he saw the sleigh.

"Did you like sleigh little snowflake?" North questioned.

"Dadda!" Jack responded with a big smile on his face.

"I am happy you do Jack! So happy!" North said.

Jack was indeed with the sleigh especially the giant animals that were leading it, the reindeer. He had seen them several times whenever the elves and yetis were watching over him when North was busy doing something else. North had even shown them to him several times as well, he didn't really get to interact with any of the animals too much though since he was still considered to be too young to do such as a thing. But North fully intended for Jack to get to know the reindeer and the other animals he had at the North Pole once he was old enough. The reindeer took notice of Jack too, they stomped their hooves with joy as they knew that he would join them on their journey to delivered presents to all the children from around the world.

"Alright, sleigh ready everyone?"

The yetis shouted in gibberish as the elves finished attending to the reindeer. Phil got the sling and placed it around North, he sure to secure it tightly so all that travelling wouldn't loosen it up in anyway. North then placed Jack into the sling. Phil and two elves jumped into the back of the sleigh while North got into the front with Jack in tow. Normally North went alone but since he had Jack this year he wanted someone to watch over Jack while he delivered the presents and coal into the houses. North took the reins into his hands and gave the signal for the reindeers to go. The reindeer started to run through the ice tunnels that had been set out, North made sure to be extra careful with how he traveled this way since he had Jack with him this time. Jack laughed as they traveled; he allowed his arms to fly through the air.

"Dadda!" Jack cheered as they traveled further and further.

"Exhilarating is it not?" North questioned.

The elves jingled their bells and held onto the sleigh as tightly as they could while Phil had no problem with keeping his balance in the sleigh, they also made sure to keep the giant sack of presents and coal in the sleigh secure. Finally they saw the sight of the night sky as they exited the tunnels. Jack cheered and clapped his hands as they did so. North then took a small snow globe out of his pocket, Jack saw this and cooed.

"This is how we get from place to place Jack," North said. "I tell it where I want to go and throw it, it then opens a portal to the place I wanted it to go."

Jack cooed again and titled his head in interest.

"Watch little snowflake," North said as he brought the sow globe. "First stop… Europe."

The inside of the snow globe began to change, it now resembled Europe. He then threw the snow globe into the air and a portal opened up immediately. Jack's eyes widen and he reached for the portal.

"Don't worry Jack we're going there right now," North said.

North commanded the reindeer to go through the portal, they entered and started to fly through the skies of Europe. North always traveled by continents while the other Guardians traveled differently during their jobs. Bunnymund would travel by city since he always like to make sure every part of a country was covered with eggs, Tooth would travel and arrange by continent, country, city and town since it made it easier for her to handle and keep everything organize and Sandy would travel by continent as well since his dream sand could be spread for miles and miles. Bottom line they all had their methods and they did whatever worked for them.

"You see little snowflake, all of the people in houses are sleeping. They are waiting for Christmas morning to open up presents Santa Claus has for them. The good children anyway… bad people get children but coal."

Jack cooed and gurgled as North saw a stop to land in, the reindeer landed on the spot and North handed Jack to Phil and the elves. He took the two empty sacks and filled them with the presents and coal that he knew belonged to the houses.

"Watch and learn Jack," North said. "You're about to see why Christmas is better than Easter."

Jack watched as North jumped and landed inside the first chimney that caught his eye, Jack gasped. He was surprised that all of that could fit down one chimney. He then watched as North came out from that chimney with black dust surrounding him but surprisingly not on him.

"Phil show Jack what I just did while I get to other houses," North stated. "Elves you stay with sleigh and reindeer."

They elves nodded their heads while Phil quickly traveled to the house North was just in, he found a window that shows the living room of the house. A tree with several decorations stood in the middle, a fireplace was next to it but it was not lit while other sorts of decorations and stockings were around the house along with candy. Jack saw it all and saw that underneath the tree were presents, presents that looked like the ones North had in his sacks. Another thing that caught Jack's attention was the small table that had a plate on it and a cup. They looked empty now but Jack could tell something was there, he wondered if North had something to do with it. Jack pointed to the table and looked at Phil.

"Dadda?" he questioned.

Phil saw what Jack was pointing to and couldn't help but chuckle, he then looked back at Jack and nodded. Jack giggled in response, they then saw North pop out of several more chimneys and Phil took Jack to see all the houses as quickly as he could so Jack could see what North was doing. Jack was beginning to notice a pattern as they went to the houses. He saw how North would leave behind either presents or coal. He would especially be happy once he saw the presents being left behind, presents made him happy. North would make him presents whenever he could, there was proof of that. North had made him the stuff kangaroo he loved, the music box he danced to with North, the cradles he slept in and the mobile that was his entertainment. They made him happy and he figured that's why North gave presents to other people as well, it made them happy. North liked to make people happy, he wanted to be like that too. He enjoyed watching North hopping in and out of chimneys and seeing what they left behind.

"Alright this is done, let's get moving!" North said as he started to jump back.

Phil couldn't help but smile at North's energy. He wasn't too worried about anyone waking up since only Believers could hear and see North as well as him and the other spirits. The yeti then made his way back to the sleigh with Jack. The elves were playing with the jingle bells on their hats when they saw North, Phil and Jack return. The three went back into the sleigh and Jack went back into the sling on North. North traveled all over Europe before moving to the next continent and the next continent and so on and so forth. He kept his routine of jumping into chimneys as Jack and Phil would see the results and thieves would watch the sleigh and reindeer. A big smile was on Jack's face as they traveled. He was really enjoying the time he was spending with North and the others. It reminded him of when he traveled with Bunny when it was Easter; he also remembered the surprise that Bunny had made for him after he was finished working. He was beginning to think that Easter and Christmas were not that different from each other. After all they both brought children joy, they got something to remember the holiday and at the end of the day you could tell that there was magic in the air. A magic that only a Believer could see and feel. Jack could certainly feel it and he hoped that it would never end. He hoped that he could always be a witness to events such as these. The Guardians brought wonder, hope, memories and dreams to the world. He saw that and he was very grateful for that as well. He couldn't imagine a world that didn't have things such as this.

After traveling to all of the continents they were on the last one: North America. And they were in a certain town, Burgess. This was no coincidence, it was intentional. North had delivered to all of the houses expect for one. The one that belonged to the head of the town, he didn't plan on leaving any presents behind expect for one person. Tooth had told the other Guardians about Jack's mother and how she still cared about him and loved him as well even after being forced to give him up. He decided to leave something for her only. She had told them her name as well. Lynn Overland. Overland was her maiden name and the name she shared with her father as well. North allowed for Phil to take Jack but told them to wait by the sleigh instead of following him like he had wanted them to do earlier. Phil understood why as did the elves but Jack didn't. North didn't take either of his sacks this time; he only took two lumps of coal and one present. Jack noticed this was even more confused. North entered the house through the chimney and saw that the entire house was silent, there were decorations for Christmas but they seemed to be lacking something. They didn't stand out like the previous houses he had been to earlier, he walked throughout the house and found one room he was looking for. It was an older man in a bed, he had gray and hair with a beard and he was sleeping. North glared at the sleeping man.

"Barbarian," North said. "She's your only child and you forced her to give up her only child."

As stated before only Believers could see and hear North and he knew for a fact that this man wasn't a Believer. No one this cruel could be one. North took out one of the lumps of coal from his pocket and placed it next to the small table that was next to the bed. North refrained from doing anything before he moved to see where the next room was, he found one and entered. It was the couple's room or at least it should be but to his surprise there was only the husband in the bed. He found that strange, tradition would normally allow for the wife and husband to sleep together in the same bed. But if that was the case then where was the wife? Where was Jack's mother, Lynn Overland? North then remembered something that Tooth had told them. Apparently Lynn had been distant with her father and husband; she barely spoke to them and barely interacted with them at all ever since she had to give Jack up. North came to the conclusion that she started to refrain from sleeping in the same bed as her husband, the very same husband that she was arranged to marry. Whatever love she had for him faded away and now she probably only viewed him as someone she had to live with. North understood why she would do this and he didn't blame her either. If it wasn't for the Man in the Moon's intervention Jack would be dead.

"Selfish and foolish man," North said. "Your wife's pain and sorrow come from a life that she did not choose for herself. If it was not for her father she would not be married to you but rather the man she choose to have a child with, the child you forced her to give up."

North walked over the man and placed the other lump of coal on the empty space on the bed, the space that should have been where his wife slept.

He then left the room and decided to see if he could find Jack's mother. He saw that there was another room at the far side of the hall; he wasted no time in going there. He entered the room to see a woman sleeping peacefully on a small bed. The bed looked as if it had been there for a long time, North also saw that there were toys all around the room along with old belongings that looked as if they were owned by a little girl. North realized that this was her room as a child and as a young adult, before she became a wife…and mother. She was staying in her old room and not her husband's room.

"I remember," North whispered. "I used to deliver presents to you when you were a little girl and I gave a present to you last Christmas; it seems as if you're one of the adults that still are a Believer."

Indeed, adults could be Believers too. It was a rare case but it did happen once a while. North made sure to leave those people presents as well, Bunny and Sandy would also use their powers on these people too. All Believers got to experience a Guardian magic and power in different ways… even if some of those Believers were adults. However, he wasn't the only source of gifts on Christmas and either was Bunny when it came to Easter. People gave each other gifts too even if they weren't Believers but it seemed like this house wasn't one of them this year. Maybe it was because of Jack's mother that all of the holiday cheer wasn't there. She was the source of happiness in the house and if she wasn't happy then the other two occupants weren't happy either. She was literally the light in a dark world. North made sure to be extra quiet as he walked to her and pulled out a small present. He couldn't believe that last Christmas she was pregnant with Jack; he must have been in hurry that time not to notice.

It was small present that was covered in blue paper with snowflake designs on it with a white bow in top. He placed it next to her head, and then went to the window that was in her room he carefully opened it and called for Phil to bring Jack. Phil quickly went to the window and handed Jack to him. Jack cooed a little as he was handed to North.

"Shhhh Jack," North said as he gently pressed a finger over his mouth. "We must be quiet."

Jack titled his head but nevertheless understood, he pressed a hand over his mouth as North got a proper grip on him. North held Jack and brought him closer to the sleeping woman.

"You see her Jack?" he whispered. "This woman is your mother."

Jack still had a hand over his mouth but he slowly uncovered it as he stared at the sleeping woman's face. She was very pretty like Tooth and the mini fairies. She had long brown hair and soft features that made her look like a gentle and kind soul. She looked like the woman from his long and distant memory of the woman who first held him.

"Jack, meet your mother, Lynn Overland," North whispered.

"Momma?" Jack questioned.

"Yes Jack, your momma," North stated in a quiet tone.

Jack looked in awe at the woman before him; a smile appeared on his face. He was happy to see her and he was especially happy to see that she had a present. He hoped that would make her happy too. North smiled at this before Phil whispered something in yeti language to him. The sun was coming up and that meant it was time for them to go before anyone woke up.

"Say goodbye Jack we have to go now," North whispered.

Jack saw that they had to leave and waved to the sleeping woman, his way of saying goodbye.

North handed Jack to Phil and decided to leave through the window as well instead of the chimney. As they left Jack giggled out loud and said a new word.

"Momma… bye-bye," Jack giggled.

North didn't even have time to comprehend that Jack said a new word as he and Phil made a hasty retreat to the sleigh with the elves still there and they quickly took off before anyone could notice. North quickly used a snow globe to teleport them back to the North Pole before anyone could notice. Jack's giggles could be heard as they did so as the baby was still laughing. North didn't even realize that he forgot to close the window to Lynn's room.

Lynn stirred in her sleep as she heard something, the sun hit her eyes and she realized that it was morning. She rubbed her eyes as she stood up from her pillow and removed some of the blanket covering her. Her eyes widen once she heard the sounds again, what really got her attention was that they sounded so close to her. She turned to see her window was opened which surprised her since she knew she closed it before she went to bed especially since it was snowing outside. That's when she felt something next to her hand, a small present with beautiful wrapping and bow. She knew that every Christmas for some reason she would get a gift from nobody she knew but for some reason this time it felt different. She took the present and opened it, what she saw made tears well up in her eyes. It was a small charm made out of silver, it had several little items attached it that were made out of silver as well. Items that only she would recognize. There was a staff that looked like her old one, a necklace that looked like the one her beloved that given her, a snowflake by itself and a blue gem. She held the charm close to her. Tears fell down her cheeks but a smile was on her face and that's when she heard the sounds again. She turned and got out of her bed, she looked out the window but saw nothing. However, somehow it was as if the wind was echoing what had been said before. The Man in the Moon allowed for this to happen, he wanted Jack's mother to hear what Jack had said before

" _Momma… bye-bye."_

Lynn heard this and more tears fell down her face but her smile remained. She heard the sounds again and this time she knew what it was. She had heard it before in the village… from the children. It was the sounds of a baby's laughter. _Her_ baby's laughter. She started to laugh herself over the fact that her baby was still alive and most importantly happy. She fell to her knees and held the charm close to her still, she couldn't stop her tears. She was so happy right now.

"Jack…" she whispered. "I love you… and Merry Christmas my little boy… wherever you are and whoever you are with I'm happy that you're safe. Merry Christmas Jack… and thank you whoever has allowed for me to have this happiness. Thank you."

She continued to cry for a little while longer before regained her senses and wiped away her tears. She kissed the charm and placed it in a secret place where no one could find it but her. She was grateful that she was sleeping in her old room since it made it easier to hide from everyone. She got dressed and got ready for the day. To her surprise she found that her husband and father had woke up with a lump of coal in their presence. She said nothing about the matter in front of them but she had a good laugh behind their backs. She knew that this life was full of surprises and this was one of those times not only for her but for the two men. She had another secret to add to her collection now. She kept her lover's true name a secret and his necklace to her, she had kept her son's name secret, she kept the cloud wolves a secret along with the whereabouts of her staff, she kept her child's fate a secret and now she will keep this day a secret as well with her charm gift.

That's right there was a reason why she gave her son the name Jack. Her lover was not from the town, he had traveled here two months after she was married. He came to Burgess since he was a wandering spirit. He always like to travel but he stopped traveling once he started a relationship with her. It was then that she became pregnant and he drowned to his death. She had a son with the man and his father, her true love, had a gone by an alias while he was in the village and not by his true name. He had only told her of his true name, Jackson. She gave that name to her son because she saw him in their baby as soon as he was born.

She would treasure her secrets for as long as she lived.

Back at the North Pole North had landed the sleigh and made sure the reindeer were put back to their spaces. He had the yetis feed them while the elves tended to their grooming. North took Jack and reminded the yetis and elves to come by the Holiday Room in a few minutes, after he got Jack ready. The Holiday Room was just above the space used for the workshop, it was a large area that North would use for special occasions. And today was one of them.

"Alright little snowflake let's get you cleaned up and then you can see what I have in store for you," North said.

"Dadda," Jack stated.

"Yes Jack I have something for you… after all it's Christmas. The best holiday ever to exist, it's even better than Easter."

Jack cooed and hugged his neck as North entered the room he shared with Jack. He placed Jack on his bed and brought out a hair brush. He brushed Jack's hair gently which made Jack let out soothing sounds. North then wiped Jack's face with a wet towel so it would be free from any specks of dirt he might have obtained from the journey. He also wiped his hands and feet, the wiping's made him giggle. He fixed the Santa suit the yetis and elves made for him before finally deciding he was ready.

"Now then little snowflake it's time for your Christmas present," North stated. "Are you ready?"

Jack clapped his hands and North took him into his arms, they walked to the Holiday Room where Jack's eyes widen as he saw numerous decorations of green, red, gold and silver. There were multiple wreaths full of red ribbons, numerous colorful presents, four long tables with chairs full of lots of treats and foods and a giant tree that had a multitude of decorations of many colors surrounding it with a star and moon on top. But the one thing that especially caught Jack's attention was the large group of people here; it was the Guardians and the yetis with the elves and all the mini fairies from Tooth's palace. Once they saw that the guest of honor had arrived they turned their attention to him and North.

"Merry Christmas Jack!" everyone said in unison.

Jack cooed and laughed as he clapped his hands. That was when Tooth flew to him with a small jingle bell in her hands.

"Here Jack use this," she said.

Jack took the jingle bell and started to wiggle it, it made a sound that he knew that the elves made whenever they moved around. He liked the sound and wiggled the jingle bell again.

"Glad to see you like it Sweet Tooth," the Guardian of Memories stated as she kissed his forehead.

"We're also glad to see that ya made it back in one piece," Bunny said as he walked to them. "With North driving I thought there would have been some damage."

"I can drive good Bunny, I have been doing so for the last few hundred years," North commented with a look of pride on his face.

"Whatever helps ya get through the day mate," Bunnymund replied as he rolled his eyes.

Sandy moved forward with sand images of the holiday festivities over his head along with a question mark.

"Yes Sandy we shall get started," North stated. "First we eat and then we can open presents and then we can have some dessert after that."

The yetis and elves cheered once they heard the dessert part of the plan, North was a man known for his love of sweets. Cookies were his favorites but he would eat other sweets as well. This was another reason why Tooth had given him the lecture over Jack could eat. Sandy was looking forward to it as well as he rubbed his belly and licked his lips.

"Alright then everyone take a seat at tables but no one eats yet until Jack has first taste," North declared.

The yetis and elves wasted no time doing such a task. The mini fairies had their seats on the table since they were so small but they had small plates and small silverware for them. Thankfully the tables were long enough to accommodate all of them and it was also good that the Holiday Room was the biggest out of all of the rooms at the North Pole. The Guardians sat at the first table and at the seats that were by the head chair. North sat there but there was also another chair there as well, it was a small one that looked similar to the ones that the Guardians would use to feed Jack. North placed Jack in his chair but he didn't sit down just yet. He stood and listed what foods they had on the tables, there were no desserts yet as they were still in the kitchen.

"On tables there are several plates of smoked ham and roasted duck, bowls of mashed potatoes along with carrots, squash and other vegetables from Bunny's gardens and trays of fresh bread. There are also cups of cider, water and milk," North stated. "I know that we have never had all Guardians here for Christmas especially with the jobs they do but this year special since Jack is with us. Therefore everyone must be here for this special occasion, now Jack let's get you a plate."

North cut a few pieces of ham and duck but only a few since Jack needed to get his other nutrients from other foods as well. Bunny placed some mashed potatoes with carrots and peas on the plate while Tooth filled a bottle with milk and Sandy wrapped a bib around Jack's neck. Once the food was on the plate Sandy began to cut up the meat into small pieces and he did the same for the carrots. He then placed the plate in front of Jack while Tooth placed his bottle next to it. Jack looked at the meal in front of him and his stomach started to make sounds. After traveling with North he was hungry, he looked at the Guardian of Wonder as North picked up his fork with a small piece of ham on it. Jack opened his mouth and waited for it. He decided that today he wouldn't play with his food despite having the want to do so but the Guardians and everyone else went through a lot just for him so he held back his wants. The fork entered his mouth and he took the food, he chewed and he immediately felt the flavors all around his tongue. He cooed and had a happy look of his face as chewed, he also clapped his hands.

"I think we have a winner mate," Bunny said as he took the fork from North and placed some carrots on it. "Here ya go ya little ankle biter."

Jack finished chewing and saw the small carrots, he opened his mouth again. He was fed the carrots and also enjoyed the taste. He then drank from his bottle and let out a small burp with Tooth's help, he looked content and he wasn't even finished with his meal. North smiled as did the other Guardians and he turned to the others.

"Alright everyone enjoy your meal but no fighting!" North exclaimed.

With that everyone started to take their fill of the food and they also helped each other with getting plates passed to them along with other things. The elves helped the mini fairies get their share while the yetis helped the elves get their share. Everyone was helping everyone. After all Christmas was a time for giving and for thinking about others. The Guardians ate their share while helping Jack eat his food. They knew that it was a little early to be doing things such as this but then again the Guardians and their allies weren't exactly normal. Also there was so such thing as too early for them.

Talking and chatter erupted amongst the large group of people when the mini fairies, elves and yetis. They talked about what they had been doing the last few months, they talked about how Jack was growing up and already starting to new learn things, they talked about the other spirits in the spirit world. They talked about good things… they stayed away from the bad such as Pitch Black and it was almost as if they forgot about them for these moments with their family, their long and extended family. A family they were sure would not have been the same without Jack. After living with him for so long they couldn't picture their lives without the little boy. He was the light in their lives… North couldn't help but remember his mother at that realization. Lynn was the light and now her son was the light too. This life was truly filled with wonder, at least North though so. Being the Guardian of Wonder he always found it and saw it. He wanted Jack to be able to see things such as this as well. He wanted him to see the good in the world and that was what Christmas was about as well. A time to see the good and to see the hidden magic behind a holiday.

After three hours they finally finished with their meals and cleaned up enough so the desserts could be ready later on. North cleaned Jack up as they got ready to open presents and Tooth made sure to help Jack burp once more before he did so.

"Dadda!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed to the large pile of presents.

"Yes Jack those are presents," North answered. "And some are for you. That is if you have been good boy this year."

Jack looked at him with an innocent look as if telling him he was always good. North gave him a teasing look before tickling his stomach, Jack giggled as he was placed on the floor next to a bright blue package. He jingled the bell he was given by Tooth before he noticed the blue present. He cooed and gently patted it, it had snowmen on it along with a candy cane colored bow. He got closer and saw a similar name on a small tag. It read Jack. He picked up the present and stood up on his legs.

"Jack!" he exclaimed.

That garnered some gasps from everyone, Jack had said his name.

"Jack you said your name," North stated. "You are very talkative day."

"What do ya mean by that North?" Bunny asked.

"I mean he said other words earlier as well, I'll tell you more about it after he takes his nap later on," North replied. "It is long story."

The Guardians couldn't wait to hear the story later on but for now they focused on Jack saying a new word and his name of all things.

"Jack! Jack!" Jack cheered.

"Yes Sweet Tooth that present is for you and as soon as North and the yetis help pass out all the other presents then you can open it," Tooth said as she caressed his hair.

"Momma!" Jack answered with happiness in his voice.

"Phil, I need your help to pass out presents," North said. "Steve, Paul, Yaloo, Spruce, Tashi and Noel you can help too."

The yetis that were called for came to North and started to look at the tags of the presents and started to pass them out to the rest of the crowd as North did the same. The tags said they belonged to and who they were from and much like people they were from more than one person. Jack saw the colorful packages were given at everyone, no one was left out. That made him happy because now everyone could be happy with a present. By the time it was over and after all the presents were passed out Jack had a total of eight presents while others got as much as that as well.

"Now Jack why don't you open your present," Tooth said as she sat down next to him and looking at the tag. "It says that it's from North."

North stood with pride while Bunny's rolled his eyes. Jack cooed and waved a North before tearing the paper with Sandy's help. He finally got it opened to reveal something truly amazing. There on the floor was an ark made out of wood with numerous stuffed animals inside. Sandy noticed a small lock and opened it to reveal the numerous stuffed animals inside. Jack eyes brighten as he saw the stuffed animals; they reminded him of his kangaroo and his baby kangaroo. He clapped and giggled and even stood up.

"Dadda!" Jack cheered.

North chuckled with joy as he saw the little one enjoy the gift, he had a feeling Jack would never let go of the stuffed animals much like his kangaroo. It made him very happy to see that he enjoyed what he made him.

"Now time for the next present ya little ankle biter," the Pooka said as he pushed the next one to him. "This one's from me."

Jack nodded and made sure to play with the stuffed animals and boat later, he started to tear open the present Bunny gave him. It was a colorful egg and Jack saw that it had a slit in the middle, curious he held the top and it came off. Inside were rainbow colors and a small brush, it was a paint set. Jack liked the colors as he giggled, they reminded him of the ones Bunny used and the ones that were at his warren.

"Kangaroo Dadda!" Jack exclaimed.

That made Bunny smile and he ruffled Jack's hair.

"Now ya can paint whenever ya want ya little ankle biter," Bunnymund stated. "I hope to see a lot of art from ya."

Jack cooed and clapped as he continued to look at the pretty colors inside the eggs, he then set it aside with the ark.

"Now it's time for my present," Tooth said as she handed Jack another one.

Jack took it and opened it to reveal a blue blanket that had snowflakes designs on it along with small characters that looked like him, the Guardians, the mini fairies, the yetis, the elves and the Moon. It was all hand sewn, only the best for her Sweet Tooth. Jack squealed as he looked at the designs.

"Momma!" Jack cheered. "Jack! Dadda! Kangaroo Dadda! Dadda!"

Jack was pointing to the designs as he said the titles which made Tooth leap for joy before landing beside him again. She brought him close to her and hugged him tightly.

"Oh I'm so glad you like it Sweet Tooth!" the Guardian of Memories cheered.

"Momma!" Jack squealed and he hugged her and the blanket together.

With another kiss to his forehead she let him go to admire the blanket some more before placing it next to the other presents. That was when Sandy leaned down next to him and handed him another present to Jack that was from him. Jack looked at the Guardian of Dreams and he nodded, Jack tore open the package and saw that it was a snow globe but he was surprised to see that it didn't have snow. Instead there was sand, it looked like dreamsand. Jack looked at it with curious eyes and that was when sand images appeared over Sandy's head. An image of the snow globe was there, and Jack saw that the inside of the snow globe was the same sand inside his. Then an image of Jack appeared holding snow globe and it looked as if he was talking. Then sand inside began to change shapes.

"What?" Bunny questioned. "Sandy you mean to us that the snow globe changes what's inside it every time Jack says what he wants all because of the dreamsand it has?"

Sandman nodded his head and had a look of pride on his face as he did so. Jack heard what Bunny said and understood; he turned back to the snow globe in his hand and thought of a word.

"Jack!" he told the snow globe.

Suddenly the sand inside started to change shape and it transformed into an image that looked like him. Jack let out a cry of joy as it did so.

"Kangaroo!" he said to the snow globe.

The sand shape shifted into a kangaroo just his stuffed toy; he clapped his hands and giggled. Sandy smiled and giant happy face appeared over his head.

"So I guess that it's really more of a sand globe rather than a snow globe," Tooth joked.

Sandy silently laughed and the others laughed as well, they agreed that it was a sand globe. Jack didn't seem to mind as he continued to call out the things he knew by name and the sand transformed into that thing.

Jack was handed the last of the presents he had and he enjoyed all of them. Phil had made him a rocking horse that he could ride whenever he wanted. The yetis made him a blue wagon that he could carry his toys in from time to time. The elves had given him building blocks that they helped paint and the mini fairies gave him a small piggy bank for the coins he would get when he started to lose his baby teeth in the future. Jack loved them all and he loved the people he was with.

Jack had opened all of his presents. He the end he got an ark from North, a paint set from Bunny, a blanket from Tooth, a sand globe with dreamsand from Sandy, a rocking horse from Phil, a little wagon from the yetis, building blocks from the elves and a piggy bank from the mini fairies.

When Jack was done opening his presents the others opened theirs and Jack started to play with the gifts he had received from his family. His first Christmas and he was beginning to see the magic that came from the holidays. It was like the time he celebrated his first Easter. Holidays brought magic, that was something he was starting to see. It also brought all of the things that the Guardians stood for.

Shreds of wrapping paper, untied bows and name tags laid on the floor as more presents were opened. The atmosphere was full of joy and laughter as the season of giving was occurring in the Holiday Room and all over the world. Everyone was enjoying themselves and soon it was time for the desserts. The tables were now filled with treats such as bowls of Christmas pudding, fruit cakes, fudge, cookies and cakes. Everyone took the desserts that suited them, even Jack got to have a taste too since Tooth was willing to let him do so for the holiday. All of the desserts were good but he found that he loved the mint cookies.

After all it was good day; Jack certainly enjoyed it as he ate pieces of a mint cookie. His eyes grew heavy as the day went on and he leaned onto the gifts he got. He let out a sigh of contentment as he finally gave into his tiredness; he closed his eyes and fell asleep in his pile of presents. The Guardians noticed this and couldn't help but chuckle, Jack looked so cute as he slept and being surrounding by all of his toys and gifts as he did so. North quietly walked over and picked up the sleeping child and Tooth's blanket, he ask the yetis to collect all of his gifts and bring them up to his play room for later on and Phil gave him the sling that would transform into his cradle.

"Please enjoy the rest of the desserts and your gifts everyone," North whispered. "I am going to go put Jack to sleep in room now."

Everyone just nodded their heads as North started to walk to the room he shared with Jack but the other Guardians followed North. They wanted to hear North's story about Jack as he promised. Once they made into the room North order the sling to change into Jack's cradle. He placed the baby into the cradle and covered him with the blanket Tooth had made from him. They watched as the baby slept peacefully in the cradle for several minutes before finally deciding to talk, they whispered so they wouldn't wake Jack. North told them about how he allowed Jack to see his mother and what he said to her before they left along with the present he gave her and the lumps of coal he gave to her father and husband.

"Those monsters deserve more than a lump of coal," Tooth commented. "But it was still a good idea nonetheless North. I'm glad you made her that gift; at least she now knows that Jack is still as healthy and as happy as he can be."

"Indeed, hopefully one day Jack will understand that his mother loves so matter where he's at or who he's with," Bunny added.

Sandy nodded in agreement and a sand image of Lynn Overland appeared over his head with a baby Jack in her arms.

"Yes Sandy and Bunny, I believe that Jack will one day see that he will always have his mother's love," North stated. "One day we tell him about her and her story."

"I hope he takes it well, I hope he understands when that time comes," Tooth said she stroked the sleeping boy's cheek.

"We'll only know when the time comes Tooth," Bunny reassured. "But for now let him stay as a child, a child that will one day become a Guardian."

The others agreed before deciding to let Jack enjoy his nap but North stayed behind. The others turned to him with puzzled expressions.

"Go on, I will be there shortly. I just want some alone time with Jack," North said. "But Bunny I just want you to know that Christmas will be his favorite holiday especially after today."

A sly smile was on North's face as he said that and a sly smile also appeared on the Pooka's face.

"In the dreams Sandy gives you maybe," Bunny rebuffed in a teasing tone.

The other two Guardians laughed while the two playfully glared at each other before they left their friend with the baby. North turned his attention back to Jack; he kneeled on the floor in front of the cradle. He kept his eye on Jack, he remembered how last Christmas he spent it with the yetis and elves like he always did. Last Christmas was so different from this one, Jack was here and he was here to stay. He was looking forward to spending more Christmases with the child. He wanted to do so in order to make up for the Christmases he would never get to spend with his parents. A realization occurred to him as he remembered that once December was over it would be January. That meant New Year's but also something else.

Next month was Jack's birthday.

North was overcome with determination, determination to give Jack the best birthday since it would be his first. He planned that would also be the day that Jack would be introduced into the spirit world; he would invite all of the spirits excluding Pitch. Only allies of the Guardians would be there and they would get to meet the future addition of the group. It was be big birthday and one Jack will be happy to have. He would do his best along with the other Guardians help. Together along with their helpers they would give Jack a good birthday celebration.

"Jack," North whispered. "Next month I'll throw a magnificent birthday celebration for you with other Guardians, you will get to meet the other spirits. You will finally be introduced to the spirit world. I hope you will enjoy your first birthday with us… as a family."

North caressed Jack's hair and that was when Phil stepped into the room. North knew that the yeti wanted to watch over Jack while North went to help the others clean up. And that he was grateful, he slowly stepped out of the room and left Jack with Phil. He knew that Jack would be safe with the yeti.

Meanwhile, Jack slept peacefully as he dreamed of the Christmas he had spent with his Guardian family, he enjoyed today just like he enjoyed Easter. He wanted it to always be like. He wanted to make more memories with the Guardians and he always wanted to experience the happiness he had when he was with them.

Overall, it was a good Christmas… a good first Christmas for Jack Frost.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 17**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Enjoy the chapter! XD**

 _A New Year_

It wasn't every day that the Man in the Moon asked for the Guardians to appear in one location all at once. It also wasn't every day that he asked the Guardians to meet in an isolated location filled with nothing but fields of green and unbloomed flowers. Bunny thought the flowers looked familiar but he couldn't figure out why that was; he dropped the subject and went back to the matter at hand. It was a land that the Man in the Moon had come to enjoy though the Guardians never really understood why as they never saw the magic that occurred at night. Magic that was associated with Mother Nature herself, she allowed for the Man in the Moon to take charge of the fields for one reason: the beauty he created at night.

It was New Year's Eve and it was still North's turn to care for Jack until all the Guardians were summon to come together at the fields the Man in the Moon enjoyed to stay over for some time. North held Jack as the little one rubbed his eyes, it was past his bedtime but he had been coaxed awake by his stuffed animals North had given him for Christmas. The Guardian of Wonder had played with Jack a little in order to wake him up until North teleported them to the fields they were asked to meet at. Jack yawned a little but smiled once he saw that his other caretakers were there with him. He liked it when they were altogether. Tooth flew over to them and took Jack into her arms; she flew around with him which made Jack giggle.

"Momma," he whispered.

"Yes Jack I'm here," Tooth cooed. "And don't forget your Dadda, all three of them."

"Dadda!" Jack squealed.

Tooth tickled his stomach a little before she placed him on the ground, as soon as she did so Jack started to walk to the flowers he saw poking out of the ground. Jack cooed once he saw that he surrounded with nothing but flowers but for some reason these flowers didn't look the same as the other flowers he had seen before. He had seen Bunnymund's flowers and how colorful they could be when they were in full bloom but these flowers were closed and only had the color white. He gently touched one of the flowers and felt how sooth and soft t was. He also noticed how fragile it was; it reminded him of the mini fairies as the eggs at Bunny's Warren. In a way it also reminded him of him, he was small and fragile especially when compared to the people around him. He giggled once he remembered that he had white hair similar to the color of the flowers. He couldn't help but touch his hair as he touched the flower. Sandy saw this and leaned down beside the little boy, he touched the same flower and he also touched Jack's hair as if agreeing with him about the color.

"Dadda!" Jack squeaked as he clapped his hands.

Sandy smiled and nodded his head as he ruffled Jack's hair, the other Guardians chuckled a little as well once they saw what Jack was implying. Jack had always been smart for a child his age even when he was barely a month old. He always seemed to know things that the Guardians didn't. Jack stood up again and started to walk to another patch of flowers and that was when he saw a little puddle of water next to the patch of flowers. However, it was necessarily the water that got his attention but the thing inside it. It was a white circle with a gray tint to it, he cooed as he tried to reach for it. Once he touched the water he noticed how the thing had ripples going through it. He was confused as he tried to touch it again only for the same thing to happen again. He pouted as he was getting frustrated. Bunny noticed this and couldn't help but laugh a little; he then walked to the winter spirit and kneeled down next to him.

"That's the moon ya little ankle biter," the Pooka stated. "Ya can't grab it because it's in the sky, not in the water."

Bunny pointed to the sky to empathize his point, Jack looked up and he let out a small gasp as he saw the same thing in the water in the sky. Only it was bigger! Jack cooed and made gurgling sounds as he reached out to the giant object. His hands looked so small once he saw how big the moon was compared to them. Jack was unaware that it was the same object that had saved him and given him the life he had now. The Guardians were waiting until Jack was old enough to tell him about the Man in the Moon since he was related to how Jack got to where he was today. They would tell him who he was but not how he was connected to Jack… at least not until it was the right time.

The Man in the Moon saw Jack and the Guardians together in the fields' full of unbloomed flowers. He smiled at Jack especially; he had seen the baby grow up after nearly a year of watching over him. He couldn't believe that Jack would soon be a year old. He couldn't believe so much time had passed since the day he first saw the child. He remembered how small had been when he saw him swaddled in the snow with nothing but a necklace as a keepsake from his mother. He also remembered how Jack had brown hair and brown eyes during that time. He wanted to see the child grow up more before he accepted his position as a Guardian; he wanted Jack to be child and to live like one before he took his rightful place as a Guardian. But for now as he said he wanted Jack to be a child and to enjoy the wonders of being one. That is why he going to give him a gift for New Years. He gave the order to the two spirits in charge of this time and waited for the right moment to summon his magic.

Baby New Year and Father Time were together when they got the order to bring in the New Year, Father Time would make time move while Baby New Year would assist especially when changing time to the New Year would take a lot of power. Finally it was a New Year.

The Guardians were standing in the fields while Jack kept trying to reach out to the moon, he tried running to it but no matter how far he ran he just couldn't seem to reach it. That was when the Guardians felt the time change as they could feel Baby New Year's and Father Time's power work its way into changing the day to the first day of the year. It was New Year's Day now.

The Guardians let out cries of joy, expect for Sandy as he just silently clapped his hands and made sand images doing the same thing, Jack stopped running to see what his caretakers were doing. He didn't understand why they started clapping all of a sudden and quickly headed back to them. That was when North scooped Jack into his arms and lightly bounced him into the air. Jack laughed at the sudden movement and clapped his hands.

"Happy New Year little snowflake!" North cheered.

"Happy New Year Sweet Tooth," Tooth said.

"Happy New Year ya little ankle biter," Bunny added.

Sandy made sand words popped over his head that read "Happy New Year Jack."

Jack looked at his caretakers as they took turns saying it, he didn't know what a new year was but it made everyone happy so he was happy. A big smile appeared on his face and he waved his hands in the air in joy. That was when he noticed something; he looked down to see the flowers glow a bright white color. His eyes widen at the beauty and he cooed, that was when the Guardians noticed what he was looking at. They gasped as they watched the flowers glow.

"What in the world?" Tooth gasped.

"The flowers…" Bunny started.

"Are glowing…" North finished.

An image of a flower glowing appeared over Sandy's head along with a question mark. He squirmed a little since he wanted to be put down, North complied and set Jack down on the grass. Jack stood up and walked to the closest flower he could find. He saw how beautiful it looked as it glowed in the dark. He saw how all of the flowers seem to light up the night. A light within the darkness. Suddenly the flowers started to move on their own as they bloomed! The flowers were in full bloom! Jack cooed and gazed at the fields of white flowers, they were all blooming and still blowing. One by one all the flowers started to open to reveal the beauty inside them as well.

"Incredible," North whispered.

"So beautiful," Tooth added.

Sandy nodded his head and Bunny took this time to get a proper look at the flowers, he observed them before finally coming to a realization.

"They're moonflowers," Bunnymund stated. "Flowers that only bloom at night, I thought they looked familiar."

"When the Man in the Moon's power is at its full," Tooth replied. "These are his flowers."

"And that is why he likes these fields," North said.

Sandy made sand images of the moon and the flowers appear, he saw what the Man in the Moon had done and was amazed by it. That was when a familiar voice spoke out.

" _Happy New Year Guardians… and future Guardian."_

It was the Man in the Moon, he was welcoming the new year with them. He was the one who gave them this gift as well as Jack. He gave Jack this gift. They finally understood why he chose to reveal it like this.

" _Have a great day Guardians and remember to protect Jack and teach him all that you know when the time comes."_

"Thank you old friend," North stated. "Thank you for this wonderful gift and for Jack as well."

The other Guardians nodded their heads in agreement.

" _You're welcome my friends, have a good year with Jack,"_ the Man in the Moon responded.

With that the flower's glow started to dim a little as it was time to go. Jack was still standing as he watched the glowing flowers until he looked at the moon again. He couldn't help but wondered if the object was the one who made the flowers glow, he didn't know how he knew that he just did. For some reason he felt a connection to the giant object in the sky. He pointed to it and remembered what Bunny had called it.

"Moon," Jack said.

The Guardians listened to what Jack said and gasped. Jack spoke another word, no matter how many times Jack spoke a new word it never ceased to amaze them. This time he called out to the moon, the person who saved him months ago.

"That's right Sweet Tooth, that's the moon," the Guardian of Memories said. "The moon that shall always be a part of the sky… and who will always be a part of your life."

Jack cooed in response and clapped his hands once more before North took him into his arms. Jack nuzzled his head into North's shoulder and yawned. He was sleepy now; Sandy worked his own magic and dropped some dreamsand over Jack. Jack instantly fell asleep and the Guardians said their goodnights to each other before they went their separate ways.

They were happy with what the Man in the Moon had did for Jack and they understood why he did it as well. The flowers lite up the night with their beautiful glow, they lite up the dark night. They were the light in the darkness… just like Jack Frost and his mother, Lynn Overland. They were lights that they hoped would never go out no matter what. They were also lights that they hope would grow as time went on.

Jack was a light in darkness, that was what the future Guardian was.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 18**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **It's been a little over a year since this fanfic was created, thank you all for staying with it and liking it! As my first fanfic based on the Rise of the Guardians franchise I am happy with the turnout! XD Enjoy the new chapter!**

 _A Colorful Situation_

Bunny was busy painting eggs, nothing new, but this time he had someone else doing the exact same thing. Jack was sitting next to the Pooka with the paint set Bunny got him for Christmas; the little boy was using both his hands and the paint brush to paint on the paper Bunnymund gave him. Jack giggled as he used all the paints to create a big splash of color on the paper. Bunny could see that Jack put a lot of precision in where he wanted the colors to be. There were several sheets of colorful paper that were spread all around Jack. It reminded Bunny of the rivers of paint that flowed through his Warren. He smiled at the future Guardian.

"Looks like we have a future artist," Bunny commented.

Jack looked at the Pooka with small splashes of paint on his face and smiled, the sight of small teeth poking out of his gums were shown as he did so.

"Kangaroo Dadda!" Jack exclaimed. "Egg!"

Jack pointed to the egg as Bunny held it. Jack had been saying more words lately and it always made any of the Guardians proud whenever they heard a new word said by Jack.

"That's right ya little ankle biter, this is an egg," Bunny said. "And it has a lot of color just like yer paintings."

The Guardian of Hope pointed to the papers Jack had around him.

"Color!" Jack squealed as he clapped his hands.

Bunny's eyes widen as Jack said another word but he quickly chuckled and ruffled Jack's white hair.

"That's right Jack, color."

Bunny smiled and continued to paint some before; Bunny followed his example and painted the egg he held. Time passed and the two enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Warren, the flowers were blooming along with the vegetation and the sounds of the running water and paint were like soft music. The stone Warrior Eggs were silently keeping an eye on the pair, making sure that nothing dared to enter the Warren to harm Jack or Bunny. Jack tried to mimic Bunny's hand movements as he painted on the paper. He also tried to use the colors that Bunny was using; he wanted to be able to create beautiful designs like the Guardian of Hope. He always admired Bunny's handiwork when it came to painting just he admired other traits of the Guardians. He admired North's ability to create great toys, he admired Tooth's ability to keep everything organized and he admired Sandy's ability to create amazing shapes out of sand. Every Guardian had something that was admirable, Jack wanted to learn so much from them and he also wanted to be able to be like them. Little did he realize that was his destiny. He was supposed to learn from the Guardians and he was supposed to stand by the Guardians side as a Guardian. The Man in the Moon said that Jack would become the pillar of their ground; the Guardians believed that even more as each day passed.

More time passed and Bunnymund painted some more practice designs on the eggs before realizing that it was time for Jack to have his lunch. He had some jars filled with mashed vegetables and fruit along with some goat milk from North in an open rock where the food would be kept cool. Bunny placed the current egg he was working on onto the ground before standing up and stretching. He looked at the little future Guardian.

"I'll be right back Jack, just keep painting and the Warrior Eggs will keep watch over ya," Bunnymund said. "I'm going to go get yer lunch so be good while I'm gone. It will only be for a couple of minutes."

Jack seemed to understand this as he smiled and made some cooing sounds, with that Bunny made his way to get the food. Before he left he whispered something to the stone golems known as the Warrior Eggs.

"Make sure nothing gets to him," Bunnymund whispered. "The last thing we need is that no good snake Pitch Black to get his hands on Jack."

The Warrior Eggs mumbled something in an incoherent language that only Bunny understood, that signaled that they understood and they kept their stone eyes on the baby. Jack didn't seem to notice as he painted some more, he looked at the eggs Bunnymund left behind and tried to copy them. He made some baby sounds as he tried to get it right. He wanted to show off to Bunny, that was Jack for you. When he wasn't busy trying to be mischievous and playing around he was busy trying to find ways to get attention from his family. It went without saying that he always got all of the above, Jack was spoiled that was no secret. Jack cooed as he was finally finished with the current painting. Bright colors and splashes decorated the paper just as they did the others but he was happy with the result. He clapped his hands with joy, that's when he finally noticed the paint on his hands. He looked in awe as he saw that he got paint all over them. They were the same colors he had used on all of the paper; they looked like the painted eggs. He cooed some more and saw that some paint was on his legs.

Jack was always wearing something similar to what he wore; it was always a one piece suit with long sleeves that had small pieces of lace on the sleeves, collar and legs. The lace had small designs of snowflakes on them, courtesy of the yetis of course. And he wore no shoes or socks of any kind. His outfit always consisted with the colors and shades of blue.

Jack looked at his outfit to find even more splatters of paint on it. He liked the way the colors stood out on his outfit and limbs. That's when he saw a small puddle of water next to him; he stood up to walk over to it. He gasped a little as he saw that paint was also on his face. But he soon smiled as he admired the colors, he looked back to the eggs and then back to his reflection in the water. He was colorful… just like the eggs. He clapped in excitement and that's when he got an idea, he could be even more colorful. He saw that in front the small puddle of water was the stream of paint. He smiled a mischievously as he walked to the stream. He got to work.

Bunny poured some mashed peaches and mashed carrots in a small bowl; he also collected a bottle of goat milk. That's when he heard the whispers of the Warrior Eggs.

"What is it?" Bunnymund questioned.

Truth be told the stone golems were interested to see what Bunny's reaction would be when he discovered what Jack was doing. But all they told him was that there was a situation when it came to Jack. That's all Bunny needed to hear as he set everything down and sprinted to where Jack was. He hoped that he wasn't too late to help Jack. He couldn't imagine something bad happening to him especially when he was so young. His heart pounded faster that very thought. However, once he reached where Jack was he got the surprise of his life.

There standing up with a big smile on his face was Jack… with paint all over himself. Paint on his face, paint on his clothes, paint on his limbs and paint on his hair. There were only some spots that were paint free.

"Jack! Egg!" Jack squealed once he saw his caretaker. "Jack! Color!"

The Pooka just stood there in shock, he couldn't even say anything. He couldn't even move. Just the image of Jack standing before him with paint all over was something to behold. He encouraged Jack to paint but he never thought he would go this far. If knew that that if Tooth was here she would be having a fit over the fact that Jack was all dirty. She always went out of her way to make sure that he was nice and clean, ever since he was first brought to them she always did this. Then there was the fact that Jack ruined his nice colors, he was sure that the yetis would have fainted at the sight of that. North would probably be laughing his belly off while Sandy would be rubbing his forehead, trying to figure out whether to laugh or to be shocked.

"Jack! Egg! Color!" Jack squealed again.

Jack clapped his hands as he was happy with the outcome. Jack started to walk to his caretaker with open arms.

Bunny snapped back to reality once he saw the little boy heading right towards him in all of his painted glory. Once he reached Bunny he immediately got paint on his fur, on the bright side it was very pretty.

"Kangaroo Dadda! Jack color!" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes, yes I can see that very clearly Jack," Bunnymund replied. "I guess the Warrior Eggs were right when they said that ya were in a situation. A colorful situation, that is."

With that the Pooka took Jack into his arms, he didn't care that more of his fur was getting dirty with paint. There were worst things to have on his fur, that's what he thought at least.

"Ya little trouble maker I can't leave ya alone for a second with ya finding a way to entertain yerself," Bunnymund stated.

Jack laughed again and clapped.

"Oh I'm glad ya think it's funny, ya probably think that this is all a little game don't ya?"

Jack just looked towards another direction while holding his small hands together, as if saying that he didn't do anything wrong. That innocent look wasn't fooling anyone especially not the Guardian of Hope.

"Ya crazy little ankle biter," Bunnymund addressed. "What are we going to do with ya? Yer not even a teenager yet, not even a child actually, and yer already causing some much mischief."

Jack looked at Bunny with innocent eyes, his blue eyes shined brightly as he did so.

"Oh don't give me that look, ya know what ya did," Bunny stated.

Jack squealed in laughter, as if he understood what Bunny said. The Guardian of Hope just smiled and shook his head, looks like Jack was growing up more than the Guardians thought before. With that in mind he forgot about Jack's lunch, he would have that later. Bunny knew what time it was now, bath time. He would have to get Jack new clothes, thankfully North packed some. He would keep the dirty clothes though just the way they were, paint and all. He felt like that would have been a good memory to keep of this moment. After all how could he forget the day that Jack got himself into a colorful situation? He wondered just how many of those were going to be in Jack's life, in the Guardians too.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 19**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **I am so sorry for not updating in a long while! *bows head in apology***

 **Enjoy the chapter! XD**

 _The Starry Sky_

To say that the mermaids were excited to have a day with Jack was an understatement. After a long day Sandy was able to return to his island to rest for a little while. However, he was a little hesitant since he wouldn't be able to watch over Jack if he did so. But the mermaids reassured him that they would take care of Jack while he slept. Jack didn't seem to mind because as soon as Sandy landed on his island the mermaids took him into their loving embraces. Once he saw this he couldn't say no. He laid on his bed and allowed sleep to take him. He knew that Jack was in good hands and that made his worries disappear. He started to dream.

Meanwhile the mermaids were in their corner fawning over Jack. Jack cooed and giggled as he was being given so much attention. He didn't get to see the mermaids as often as the Guardians but when he did it was a treat. The mermaids couldn't really leave their place on Sandy's island because of their needs for water and because of their duties to the sand land. People would still dream when Sandy wasn't around but the dreams tended to jump around and they didn't last as long. When Sandy spread his dreamsand the dreams would be more specific and focused as well as longer. This was why Sandy had to do it most of the time and the reason why he couldn't take breaks so often. But when he did the mermaids were more than happy to help him out. Today they would take care of Jack for him while he rested. Jack played with Calliope's sandy blond hair as he laid in her arms.

"Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma," Jack said as he pointed to each of the mermaids. "Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma."

At this point all females were "Momma" while all males were "Dadda" to Jack. It was how he identified his caretakers. The only exception was Bunny since Jack called him "Kangaroo Dadda" but that was only because he knew another word that could go with the "Dadda" title. Everyone couldn't help but wonder if Jack would do the same with the others once he knew more words.

" _Oh look at him sisters,"_ Calliope stated. _"Isn't he perfect?"_

" _Indeed, what a beautiful baby,"_ Harmony replied.

" _He won't be a baby for much longer,"_ Madrigal added.

" _It is true,"_ Piper commented.

" _He'll be turning a year old next week,"_ Viola said.

" _His first year with the Guardians is coming to an end,"_ Tempo stated.

" _But there will be many more years ahead of them,"_ Diva added.

" _How wonderful!"_ Sonata exclaimed.

" _Can you believe it, an immortal child growing up with the Guardians,"_ Opera responded.

" _If someone were to tell us this a year ago we would have called them crazy,"_ Cadenza declared.

" _But Jack is special,"_ Symphony said.

" _A child that the Man in the Moon chose to be the next Guardian,"_ Melody commented. _"His adventures are only just beginning."_

The twelve mermaids nodded their heads; everyone had high hopes for Jack in the future. The fact that the Man in the Moon chose him personally said a lot about how much faith he had for the young child. Jack was only going to be a year old and yet he was doing so much with his life. He brought joy to those he was around. Jack was a light and a representation for the future.

And speaking of representations, the mermaids thought this would be a good time to teach Jack something. After all the others were going to teach Jack something one day why can't they do the same? They all smiled at each other and they looked up at the starry night sky. They knew exactly what they were going to teach Jack. Sonata took Jack into her arms.

" _Jack, did you know that there's more to the stars than you think?"_ she asked.

Jack titled his head his head in confusion. The stars, did they mean the bright spots in the sky? He had heard of them and he had seen them before but what else was there to them? He was confused.

"Stars?" he questioned as he pointed to the sky.

" _That's right Jack,"_ Diva said. _"Those are the stars."_

" _And they tell stories Jack,"_ Viola added.

" _Stories that came from a long time ago,"_ Opera stated.

" _They are representations of how long the world has been here,"_ Piper explained.

" _They are also representations of the people that came from before,"_ Calliope said.

" _A history told in the sky,"_ Madrigal stated. _"They are called constellations."_

" _And we will show it you some of them,"_ Cadenza added.

Jack listened to what the mermaids were saying his fascination with the stars grew. He looked at the bright spots in the sky and he wanted to know more. Despite being a young child he liked listening to stories and he liked learning new things. The mermaids got into their corner of the island and they began their tales. Sonata went first.

" _Today we shall teach you what are known as the zodiac constellations,"_ Sonata said. _"We'll start with Aries."_

Sonata then traced the stars with her finger to form the Aries constellation. Jack could see what she was talking about as the stars seemed to glow as Sonata traced them. Sonata began the story.

" _Aries is known as The Ram dear Jack. Long ago there was a hero named Jason and he traveled with a group known as the Argonauts. You see Jason traveled to find the Golden Fleece which was made from a special ram. The Ram came from the Greek god known as Hermes; it was a gift from him to Nephele. Nephele was the first wife of a man named King Athamas. But the gift was given to her because King Athamas was marrying another woman. That woman was named Ino and she was very jealous of the children King Athamas had with Nephele. The children's names were Phrixus and Helle, a boy and a girl. She was so jealous of them that she wished to get rid of them but Nephele caught onto her plan and decided to send the children away. She used the ram as a way to transport the children to safety. Phrixus and Helle were on their way to safety until Helle fell off the ram and she drowned but Phrixus made it to safety. Once he was safe he sacrificed the ram that brought him there. From the ram he took its fleece, the Golden Fleece and he presented it to the king of that land. The king's name was Aeetes and he was so thankful for the gift that he allowed Phrixus to marry his daughter. He also placed the Golden Fleece in a sacred place where it was guarded by a dragon who never slept. Jason sought his trophy but it was not an easy quest to accomplish. In order to gain the Golden Fleece Jason would have to accomplish three tasks given to him by King Aeetes. With the help of the goddesses Aphrodite and Hera and Aphrodite's son Eros they managed to get King Aeetes's other daughter, Medea, to fall in love with Jason. She helped Jason complete the tasks and she helped him defeat the dragon long enough to take the Golden Fleece. With his prize in his hands Jason and Medea set sail much to King Aeetes's anger. And that Jack is the story of Aries."_

Jack listened to the story with interest and he clapped his hands once it was over. He used his finger to trace the stars in the star; he was tracing the sign of Aries much to the mermaids' joy. By doing so Jack was showing them that he was learning and taking in what they said. Now it was time for the next symbol. Harmony was next and she took Jack into her arms

" _Next is Taurus, also known as The Bull,"_ Harmony said as she traced the stars and they glowed into the symbol. _"Long ago there was a beautiful Phoenician princess by the name of Europa. She was admired everywhere, so much so that she even gained the attention of the god Zeus. Zeus was the king of the gods and he was known for his power and relationships both of the immortal and mortal kind. Zeus had a habit of seducing women by taking on different forms, most of the time they weren't even human forms. In this case he took the form of a majestic white bull. After he changed his shape he hid amongst the herds that belonged to Princess Europa's father. Princess Europa was out in the fields with her helpers when she first noticed the white bull. Needless to say Princess Europa found herself enamored by the white bull when she first saw it. She approached it and she touched it, Zeus welcomed the touch and the two stayed in the fields together until Princess Europa got onto his back. As soon as she was on, Zeus took off with her. They rode into the sea and they traveled until they reached the island known as Crete. As soon as they reached it Zeus revealed his true self to the princess and he gave her the title of the first queen of Crete. However, Zeus was quite the gift giver since he also gave the princess three additional gifts. Eventually Princess Europe went on to bear him three sons. And now they say that the bull in the starry sky is a representation of their union and the beginning of the history of the island known as Crete. And that is the end of the story Jack."_

Once again Jack was interested and he traced the stars in the sky in the shape of the Taurus symbol. He found it fascinating that these little spots at night told such stories. He wanted to hear more and his wish was granted as it was time to move onto the next constellation. It was Calliope's turn as Jack was passed to her.

" _The next constellation that will be told is Gemini,"_ Calliope said as she traced the stars. _"Gemini is also known as The Twins. Once there was a woman named Leda and she was married to the king of Sparta named Tyndareus. But Leda captured the attention of Zeus much like Princess Europa and he visited her as well. Only this time Zeus took the form of a swan. He laid in her arms and she didn't reject him and together they conceived a son named Pollux but she had also conceived a son with her husband named Castor. She also conceived a daughter with Zeus named Helen that very same night. Helen would later go on to be the center of a love triangle between King Menelaus and Prince Paris. But as for Castor and Pollux, one mortal and one immortal, they were known for their differences. Pollux, being immortal, was known for his strength while Castor, being mortal, was known for his skill with horses. Despite being born to different fathers and despite being different in general they were very fond of each other and were as close as siblings could be. Castor and Pollux would later go on to search for the Golden Fleece as Argonauts with Jason. They would also go on to fight for their sister in order to return her to her husband King Menelaus and take her away from Prince Paris. However, mortality soon caught up with Castor and he died just like any other mortal. Pollux, being immortal, could not bear the loss of his beloved brother. He went to his father, Zeus, and pleaded for him to allow half of his immortality to go to Castor. Seeing the brother's devotion to each other and their acts of heroism over the years Zeus agreed and Pollux and Castor were reunited in the heavens. They became the stars known as Gemini; they never leave each other's sides just like they wanted. And that concludes the story of that constellation."_

Jack cooed in awe over the story, the brothers love reminded him of the love his mother had for him. She loved him enough to save his life and sacrificed being a mother to him just so he could have another chance. It also reminded him of the love he had for the Guardians the beings around him and the love they all had for him. He admired the Gemini constellation and he traced it like Calliope did before him. It was time for the next constellation. Viola went after Calliope and Jack entered her arms.

" _Cancer, the Crab,"_ Viola stated as she traced the stars in their form. _"Once there was a hero by the name of Hercules. He was conceived through the union of the god Zeus and a mortal woman named Alcmene. Once the goddess Hera, Zeus's wife and the queen of the gods and goddesses, heard of this child he became a target of her wrath. For you see Hera had a history of being jealous of any woman Zeus had relations with and she hated the children that were produced from those relations. Hercules was no different and he became her enemy the moment he was born. However, through a compromise between Hera and Zeus it was decided that Hercules would have a chance to prove himself worthy of living on Olympus and becoming immortal. But Hera would be the one who would decide how Hercules would do so. She had Hercules sent to his cousin, King Eurystheus, and to whatever the king ordered him to do. As a result King Eurystheus gave Hercules twelve labors to accomplish much to Hera's approval. Each labor would prove to be more difficult than the last and Hera had a hand in doing so. On the second labor Hera sent a crab to distract Hercules by biting the hero's heels. Hercules was supposed to kill the beast known as the Hydra, a water monster with multiple heads. The crab did as it told but Hercules managed to step on it just in time before the Hydra gained the upper hand, he crushed it until it was dead. Acknowledging the crab's deed Hera made sure that it wouldn't be forgotten and that it would live on forever. She placed the crab in the stars, where it is now known as Cancer. And that is where it is until this very day and it will continue to be there for many years to come. As for Hercules, he managed to destroy the Hydra and he went one to finish the other labors. And that is the tale of the Cancer constellation dear Jack."_

Jack looked amazed as he heard the hero's tale and it frightened him a little. He didn't realize how mean people could be to others, it reminded of that mean man who scared him when he first came to the North Pole. But he was glad to hear that Hercules managed to do what he was supposed to do. He clapped his over that fact. With the next constellation came Opera's turn as she was given Jack.

" _Next is Leo, the constellation known as The Lion,"_ Opera explained as she traced the constellation's stars. _"As you heard the Greek hero Hercules was supposed to complete twelve labors in order to gain Hera's favor and to be accepted on Mount Olympians. His first labor was to defeat and kill the Nemean Lion. The Nemean Lion was a ferocious creature who would take women as hostages, no man stood a chance against such as creature as many died trying to save the women. Normal weapons couldn't hurt the Nemean Lion and its claws were capable of cutting through any armor. No one knew if there was a way to kill it. Whenever a man came close to the creature's lair they would be fooled into coming in only to be killed. That's when Hercules came along; he realized that the only way to kill the creature was with his bare hands. Once he challenged the Nemean Lion Hercules wrestled it, he made sure that the lion didn't gain the upper hand as he did so. Once he got the creature in the right position he strangled the beast to death. After its death the women were finally free to return home. Meanwhile, Hercules removed of the Nemean Lion's claws and he used it take the skin of the lion. He presented the carcass to the king but he kept the skin for himself. From then on Hercules wore the skin as armor and as a means to protect himself throughout his other labors. And now many have come to believe that Leo is the Nemean Lion. It is a representation of the bravery of Hercules during his first labor. Because of him lives were saved and a terrible creature was destroyed. And that little Jack is why it is called Leo."_

Jack couldn't believe how strong the man was. He hoped one day he would be as strong as that especially if it meant protecting people. He wanted to be just like the Guardians when he grew up and he wanted to help others. He traced the Leo constellation and he smiled. After Opera was Symphony and she was now holding Jack

" _Now it is time to talk about Virgo, The Virgin,"_ Symphony started and she traced the constellation with her finger. _"There was once a goddess named Dike, she was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness named Themis. She was the goddess of justice and she was sent to live amongst the humans during the Golden Age of mankind. During this time the Titans ruled the Earth and humans lived in peace without knowing old age and fear. It was a paradise for humans since they didn't have to worry about anything. But that all change when Zeus challenged the leader of the Titans, Kronos. You see little Jack, Kronos was the father of Zeus and there was a prophecy that stated that one of Kronos's children would overthrow him. The prophecy came true when Zeus challenged him, with the help of his brothers and sisters and other relatives Zeus managed to overthrow Kronos and that led to the Silver Age. It was a time where the humans were finally introduced to pain and suffering, no longer was there paradise. The humans had to learn to survive on their own and as a result they turned their backs against the gods and goddesses. Now this is where Dike came in. She was a very beautiful woman; she was described to being similar to an angel because of the wings she possessed. And she was also very smart and a firm believer in justice and doing what was right. She spoke to the humans and told them that they should follow their predecessors; she believed that the humans were wrong to turn their backs against the gods and she encouraged them to do what they did before the Silver Age. She said that the worse was to come if they didn't do so. But the humans were growing greedy by this time since while they had learned certain tasks they didn't not know how to perform others. As a result the humans didn't listen so she turned her back on them by leaving for the mountains. Soon the Bronze and Iron Ages followed and the humans began to fight amongst each other. Dike decided that she had enough of humans and she flew away from the Earth and to the heavens. And now there she is, her appearance is forever encased in the stars. And that is the end of the story for Virgo."_

Jack found it interesting how times changed as the Earth got older; the story also showed him how the humans changed as time passed. He wondered how the world would be like as he got older. He wondered how the people would change as well. Now that the story was over it time for another mermaid to tell her tale. Diva went after her mermaid sister and Jack was now in her arms.

" _Now it is time for Libra or The Scales,"_ Diva stated. _"The scales are known for their connection to law and balance. These are two very important aspects in all cultures and worlds Jack. There must always be law and balance in order for there to be peace. This is what the scales represent and it relates to the histories that came from long ago. There always had to be some form of law in order to keep the balance, both the mortals and the immortals knew this to be true. The humans liked this constellation because it was a representation of the seasons and with night and day. They believed that this constellation showed how there was a balance between them. The gods favored Libra because it was a representation of how they all played a role in their world and in the mortals' world. They each had their powers and abilities and there had to be a balance in order for there to be law. Not too long after the goddess Dike's departure from Earth she became associated with Libra because of her status as the goddess of justice. And so the scales were added to the stars as a way to remind both the humans and gods of what needs to be. There must always be balance and law dear Jack no matter what world it is. The same can be said for our world. You, little one, are very special because you have been a part of both worlds. You started off as human but were transformed into a spirit and given the status of a future Guardian. You must understand the idea behind Libra in order to know how to keep the peace and to protect others. And that concludes the story of Libra."_

Jack cooed and he held his hands, he had no idea what law and balance were until Diva explained Libra. He was now thinking about his other caretakers; he wondered if the same applied to them just as the mermaid said. He wondered if he would have to do the same in the future. But for now he was just child and he deserved to grow up like one until the time was right. He traced the stars that belonged to Libra. It was now Melody's turn to talk and Jack was handed to her.

" _And now it is time for Scorpius, The Scorpion,"_ Melody stated and she traced the constellation and it began to glow in its form. _"There was a goddess named Artemis and she was known as the goddess of the hunt. She was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. Her skill with hunting was undeniable and her power was one to admire as well. However, one day there was a huntsman named Orion and he boasted that he could kill every animal. He said that he would kill every animal. Orion was known for his endless strength and abilities with hunting but Artemis wouldn't have it. While she was the goddess of the hunt and a hunter at the same time she guaranteed protection to all creatures no matter how big or small. However, she wasn't the only one Orion boasted to. Her mother, Leto, was also brought into the situation. They decided that they had to do something about Orion so the two goddesses sent a scorpion to stop him. The scorpion was not an average one; it was a giant beast that could strike down any mortal that came its way. Orion battled this monster and he eventually lost his life because of it. Their battle as so newsworthy that even Zeus himself couldn't help but notice it. After the battle he made sure to immortalize it by placing the scorpion amongst the stars with the other constellations. And later at the request of Artemis she asked Zeus to place Orion not too far from Scorpius. It was a way to remind humans of what their pride could lead to. The fact that Scorpius was not too far from Orion helped with this reminder. So you see Jack every constellation acts as a reminder to people, it can mean different things and each one has its own history. And that is the end of the tale of Scorpius."_

Jack listened to Melody's story and he looked up at Scorpius, he couldn't see Orion but he knew that he couldn't be too far. He couldn't believe that some of the constellations served as reminders to the consequences of certain actions. He traced Scorpius and he hoped that he hoped that he would never have the misfortune of becoming someone's target. Tempo was now the one to go as Jack was in her embrace.

" _And now we move onto Sagittarius or The Archer,"_ Tempo explained as she traced the stars. _"Long ago there was a centaur named Chiron. A centaur is a half man and half horse creature, the bottom is horse while the top is man. Chiron was a well-known centaur in his time, he was very kind and gentle to those around him and he was skilled in archery. He actually was a mentor to some of the heroes of the past such as Achilles, Jason and Hercules. However, one day Chiron was accidently shot and wounded by Hercules. The arrow that he used that been dipped in poison that belonged to the Hydra. It was the same Hydra that he had slain as one of his labors. The Hydra's poison caused Chiron unbearable pain and the fact that he was immortal made it difficult to deal with. And the poison could not be cured. With little to no options Chiron and Hercules looked for a way to end Chiron's pain. He offered himself as a sacrifice. There was a Titan named Prometheus and he was being punished for giving man fire, his punishment was that he would be chained to a rock and have his liver eaten by an eagle only for it to grow back and have the experience happen again. This punishment would continue for many years until Chiron offered to take Prometheus's place in order to end his suffering. Hercules released Prometheus at the request of Zeus and Chiron took his place. By doing so Chiron forfeited his immortality and his pain finally ended. However, Zeus saw the good in Chiron and decided to immortalize him amongst the stars and he became Sagittarius. And that little Jack is how the constellation came to be."_

Jack cooed as he finished listening to the story, he was happy to hear that some people got the happy ending they deserved even if it was in unusual way. Nevertheless he was happy with the results of Sagittarius story and he followed Tempo's example by tracing the constellation. It was now Piper's chance to tell a story and Jack was passed to her.

" _Now we go to Capricornus, also known as The Sea Goat,"_ Piper stated as she used her finger to trace the stars. _"You see Jack long before Zeus's time there were the Titans and the Titanesses. They were the rulers of the universe but the leader of the group, Kronos, was told by his mother that one of his children would someday overthrow him much like how he overthrew his father, Uranus. In order to make sure that wouldn't happen he swallowed the children his wife, Rhea, bore every time one was born. He swallowed a total of six children until one day Rhea had enough. She was pregnant with her seventh child when Mother Earth told her what to do in order to save her child. Instead of giving the baby to Kronos like she had done before she gave him stone wrapped in cloth that was similar to a baby. Kronos swallowed the rock and was unaware of the switch. Meanwhile Rhea gave her newborn son to the nymphs that lived on the deserted island of Crete and he was nursed by a goat named Amalthea while he was there. Another thing to know Jack is that gods and goddesses don't age like mortals; they reach adultery much quicker than them. It wasn't too long after that Zeus reached adulthood and he finally had to power to overthrow Kronos and rescue his siblings. And now some say that Capricornus is Amalthea, the goat that nourished Zeus and took care of him along with the nymphs on the island. She was given a high honor by Rhea and by Zeus because she served her purpose to both. And so Capricornus watches over us and is a representation of a good mother since Rhea gave up her child to save him and because she took care of Zeus like he was her own when he was a baby. I hope that you can find joy in that Jack especially when your mother was the same."_

Jack smiled and giggled a little once he heard his mother being mentioned. He liked hearing about her even though she couldn't be with him. But that didn't stop Jack from loving her because he knew that she loved him enough to protect him. And for that he was grateful as was everyone else Jack knew, he traced the constellation with a look full of love as he recalled his mother by doing so. Without her Jack would not be here today. It was now Cadenza's turn and she took Jack into her arms.

" _It is now time for Aquarius or the Water Carrier as some may know it,"_ Cadenza stated as he traced the constellation's form with her finger and it started to glow. _"There was once a young boy from Phrygia and his name was Ganymede. He was a prince since he was the son of the King of Troy named Tros. Despite being a boy he was incredibly beautiful and his delicate features captured everyone's attention. One day Ganymede was out in the fields tending to sheep when an eagle swooped down towards him. He didn't realize that the eagle was Zeus, who had transformed himself into the strong bird. Ganymede's looks appealed to Zeus and he decided to whisk him away to the heavens of Mount Olympus. The eagle swooped down and took Ganymede by to the home of the gods. There Ganymede became the official cup bearer to the gods and goddesses; it was his duty to make sure that their cups never went empty. Ganymede's loyalty is represented through Aquarius and it shows how he was chosen amongst the mortals to serve the gods and goddesses personally. It is like you Jack, you were chosen by the Man in the Moon to become the next Guardian. You are the future Jack and just like Ganymede you will find your purpose as you get older. That is the end of the story dear Jack and may you learn from it because you are special just like Ganymede."_

Jack couldn't believe how Ganymede almost had a fate like his. He was mean to do great things in the future, that's what everyone would tell him from time to time but to hear that there was someone similar to him made him happy. Even though he was still a young child he had much to learn and he had much to give as well. Jack would do great things just like Ganymede. And last but not least it was Madrigal's turn and Jack entered the last mermaid's arms.

" _Finally there is Pisces, The Fish,"_ Madrigalstated firmly as she traced the constellation in the sky and it glowed. _"During the time of the gods and goddesses there was a monster by the name Typhon, he was a monstrous giant and was considered to be most deadly creature ever known to all mortals and immortals. However, the gods and goddesses didn't know about the monster's existence until it suddenly sprouted from Mother Earth's being. His appearance and his power frightened them all on Mount Olympus, so much so that they fled by taking on different forms. Zeus turned himself a ram, Hermes changed into an ibis, Apollo transformed into a crow while Artemis took the form of a cat and Dionysus disguised himself as a goat. But Aphrodite and her son, Eros, were bathing in the Euphrates River that day and with little time they quickly transformed themselves into fish. However, in order to make sure that they didn't lose the other they tied a piece of rope to themselves. They were able to escape from harm's way and the event became famous. Pisces was mother and son and it showed their devotion to each other. It is a perfect representation of a mother's love for her child and a child's for their mother. Just like you little Jack… and that concludes the zodiac constellations."_

Jack smiled again over hearing his mother being discussed. He looked at the Pisces constellation and he traced it lovingly. He thought about his mother as he did so. He wondered if she knew about the constellations and the stories behind them. Some of them told their story, they told the story of the love a mother had for her child and vice versa. Jack also thought about his other caretakers, he thought about how they cared for him and how they expected great things from him. And others warned him of the dangers of the world, dangers that he couldn't face alone because he had people who would be right by his side no matter what. It was only a matter of time before Jack grew up and finally took his place as a Guardian. But for now everyone just wanted Jack to be who he was at the moment. As said before he had much to learn but he had much to give as well. The mermaids wanted to have a part in that. They hoped that by telling him such stories he would take something from them. Even if it wasn't as important as something a Guardian would teach they still hoped he would learn. Someone as special as Jack only came around once maybe twice in a lifetime. He was destined to become something more than people thought, the mermaids could tell just by looking at him. They knew plenty of stories where people left their mark on the world. The constellations were proof of that even if they were just stories. The Guardians had already left their mark both in their world and in the human world… they couldn't wait to see what kind of a mark Jack would leave behind. One day they knew that everyone would know the name Jack Frost.

" _Did you enjoy the stories Jack?"_ Diva asked.

"Mommas! Stars! Jack like!" Jack cheered as he waved his arms in the air.

The mermaids chuckled a little at Jack's response and they all placed a kiss on his forehead. Indeed Jack was really something special and they couldn't for his birthday. They wouldn't be able to physically attend it but the Man in the Moon had promised them a way to be there. After all he was just as excited for Jack's birthday as everyone else. It had been a year since the boy was chosen and there would be many more years ahead. They wanted to celebrate them all!

Without saying anything else Jack began to trace the constellations in the sky using his finger, he tried to remember where exactly they were and what they looked like as he did so. The mermaids watched in amusement as he traced the constellations he was taught. The sky held a lot of stories and they wanted Jack to know them all.

" _You really are something special Jack,"_ Madrigal commented.

" _Yes he is,"_ Symphony responded.

" _I can't wait to see what he will be like in the future,"_ Calliope said.

" _We can't wait either,"_ Piper stated.

" _It is a future to look forward to,"_ Opera added.

" _One day he will be a Guardian,"_ Harmony commented.

" _And one day he will find his center,"_ Cadenza replied.

" _Just like the others,"_ Diva said.

" _He will also protect others just like the Guardians,"_ Tempo stated.

" _He will serve Believers,"_ Sonata added.

" _And he will leave his mark,"_ Melody replied.

" _Just like the starry sky,"_ Viola finished.

 **Next chapter… Jack's birthday! XD**

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 20**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **Sorry everyone for not updating sooner! Things have been crazy *bows head in apology***

 **Enjoy the chapter! XD**

 _Happy Birthday Jack_

Jack was sleeping peacefully inside his cradle in North's room. But he wasn't alone, his favorite yeti, Phil, was watching over him. None of the Guardians were taking any chance of leaving Jack alone especially for today.

Today was Jack's birthday.

They knew that today would have been a good opportunity for Pitch Black to do something. And so, none of the Guardians, or any of Jack's caretakers in general, were going to risk it. Phil silently kept watch over the sleeping child, he knew that Jack was being allowed to sleep later than usual because of the planning and decorating that was going on inside the Globe Room. Since today was Jack's birthday it was a good opportunity to finally introduce him to the rest of the spirit world. The right spirits that is.

The Man in the Moon had personally sent the invitations himself when heard about Jack's birthday party. He was also very protective of Jack on his birthday, and so he wanted to be in charge of making sure that the right people were invited to the celebration. And so far there had been a large turnout. There were many spirits and they were enjoying themselves in the Globe Room as they Guardians finished the preparations. And they didn't arrive empty handed; all of them brought some sort of gift for the now little one year old. They were all very eager to meet the future Guardian. Spirits with holidays of their own especially made themselves known to the Guardians.

There was the Leprechaun of St. Patrick's Day, a typical bearded man of short stature. His clothes consisted of green attire with a coat and a hat, sometimes he also carried around a pipe. Then there was Buckeye Chuck of Groundhog Day, he was just a regular ground hog who was about the size of Sandy. His fur was a normal brown color with a hint of pale yellow and orange.

Plymouth the turkey of Thanksgiving, he was literally just a turkey but his tails were larger and longer than that of an average turkey. His tails mimicked that of the fall colors, it was a rainbow of various shades of orange, red, and brown.

There was also La Calavera Catrina of Halloween, a woman who was literally a skeleton with transparent flesh above it. It honestly looked like she was wearing makeup because of this. But despite that she was still considered to be very beautiful, she wore a black dress with roses that were red, black and white colors. A hat sat on top of her head and it was decorated with the same colors of roses.

Then there was Cupid of Valentine's Day. He looked to be around the age of a young teenager but his youthful appearance always brought a lot of questions about his age. Golden hair and blue eyes were his physical features. He also sported a pair pearl white wings, a gold loincloth went down to his knees. And around his shoulder was a sling that held his bow and arrows.

And last but not least there was Father Time and Baby New Year for starting the New Year and for helping time move forward. Father Time sported his long white beard and hair along with his light gray robe with his scythe. Baby New Year was in his arms, he looked like an average baby. He even dressed like one too as he wore a diaper most of the time, he had gold brown hair and one green eye and gray eye. He also didn't speak too much; he usually used baby noises in order to communicate.

There were also other spirits who didn't specialize in holidays or have specific days devoted to them. Most of them were related to the change in the seasons and weather.

The big one was Mother Nature herself. She was a tall woman with very long and regal black hair; it almost looked like it floated around her. She wore a dark green coat with gold designs around her shoulders; underneath it was a light green dress with many intricate designs of flowers, air, snow, dirt, leaves, ice, fire and animals around it. Everything that could be seen in nature was on it. Then there was her attendant and number one supporter, Pan. He was half man and half goat and two horns were on his head along with a beard on his face. He was responsible for making sure that there was peace amongst the spirits and for making sure that they did their jobs in accordance to what Mother Nature wanted.

As the spirit of nature, Mother Nature had many servants or spirits that fell under her rule. First there were the elementals. Gnomes for earth, undines for water, sylphs and air, and salamanders for fire. Truth be told there were many other spirits that fell into these elementals such as nymphs, dryads, pixies, nisses, sprites, naiads and even mermaids. And then there were the spirits who focused on the change of seasons such as the May Queen, Old Man Winter, Boreas, Zephyrus, Flora and Khione. One way or another they all had to respond to Mother Nature.

And last but not least there were the attendants of the Guardians. North's yetis and elves, some of Bunny's Warrior Eggs along with some of the actual Easter eggs, Tooth's tiny fairies and even Sandy's mermaids. They weren't able to leave the island due to their needs of the water but the Man in the Moon opened a portal for them to see the festivities and interact with Jack and the other spirits. They were very happy with this.

All of them were here today and they were waiting for Jack. That was when there was a knock on the door; Phil turned around and slowly opened it. It was North and he had a look of joy on his face.

"Time to get him ready," North said.

Phil nodded his head and opened the door for North, the Guardian of Wonder slowly let himself in and he walked over to the cradle. He stared at the sleeping form of Jack with sincere eyes and a gentle smile. He couldn't believe that it had a year now since the boy came to them. He had grown so much throughout the past year. He didn't want it to end, none of the Guardians did. They wanted to share so many more years with him and have many more celebrations with him. There was still so much needed to be done and they had all the time in the world to do so. North reached into the cradle and caressed his hair.

"Happy birthday Jack, wake up little snowflake," North said. "It's time for your birthday celebration."

Jack stirred a little once he felt North's soothing touches to his head, after stirring a little bit more his blue eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was North's face and immediately smiled and he giggled a little as well.

"Dadda!" Jack said.

North smiled a little over Jack's cute tone, he then gently placed his arms under Jack and lifted him out of the cradle. Once he was in his caretaker's arms Jack held onto his shoulder.

"Everyone is waiting for you Jack," North stated. "All of the spirits want to see you."

Jack titled in head a little in confusion, he didn't understand what North was saying. He couldn't think of anyone else who would want to see him at this point other than the Guardians and their attendants.

"But first we have to get you dressed," North added. "Your debut into the spirit world must be as grand as possible."

With that North reached into the closet of his room and looked through the outfits that belonged to Jack. Over the last year the Guardians had several clothes made for Jack; most of them came from the yetis. They were all related to winter in some way, various shades of blue and white and designs of ice and snow decorated them. After searching for a few seconds North finally found the outfit that Jack should wear. It was a dark blue onesie with white lace around the collar and hands and feet. One the lace were small designs of snowflakes. It was perfect for today, and so North sat Jack down on the changing table that was also in his room. He removed Jack's night clothes and put on the outfit. As he did so Jack would simply giggled and smile at North. Once he was done with that he moved onto Jack's hair, he took a brush from one of the drawers and combed through Jack's snow white hair. With that he was done but North was sure that Tooth would want him to brush Jack's teeth so he knew that he should do that as well. He took Jack into his arms and walked over to Phil.

"Tell others that he will be there in two minutes, tell Guardians to stand around the entrance of Globe Room," North said.

Phil nodded his head and went ahead of North; North went into an opposite direction. He went into the bathroom of his home. Once he was there he entered into it and found Jack's small toothbrush. It had been handcrafted by Tooth herself, soft enough for his gums but strong enough to keep his teeth healthy. He placed some tooth cleaner on it and positioned it to Jack.

"Alright Jack, open mouth," North said. "You know Tooth likes clean teeth."

Jack obediently opened his mouth and allowed the toothbrush to move around his teeth. This wasn't the first time North had done this so he was used to the feeling by now, in fact all of his caretakers had their own toothbrush for him. Tooth had provided them along with teeth cleaners that were appropriate for babies. Needless to say the other Guardians took her instructions seriously; they certainly didn't want an angry Tooth Fairy on their hands. North gently brushed Jack little teeth and he was careful around the gums, the last thing he wanted was to hurt Jack. Within two minutes he was done and he had Jack spit out the remains of the tooth cleaner.

"Alright now you ready Jack," North stated. "Time to go see your party."

Jack clapped his hands with excitement and North smiled at his actions. They made their way to the Globe Room; North could see the figures of the other Guardians at the entrance of the Globe Room. Once he was close enough he cleared his throat to get their attentions, they turned around and smiled once they saw their little Jack. Tooth flew over to him and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Hello there my little Sweet Tooth," she said. "Happy birthday."

"Congrats on being one year's old now ya little ankle biter," Bunny stated.

Images of a cake and Jack appeared over Sandy's head, he also had a smile on his face as he did so. It was his way of saying happy birthday to Jack as well. Jack understood and he clapped some more and smiled.

"Daddas! Kanagroo Dadda! Momma!" Jack cheered.

All of the Guardians stared at Jack with genuine looks of love and care. They knew that they had to do this but for some reason it wasn't easy. Maybe it was because they were the only ones who were allowed to be with him for such a long while, and now they had to share him with the other spirits. They knew that these spirits were personally selected by the Man in the Moon himself but they were still worried. They wanted Jack to be safe, but maybe this was a way to do that. If more spirits knew about Jack then maybe they could protect him as well. They all had the means and power to do so. With that in mind they went through with this plan and celebration.

"I think he's ready," Bunnymund said.

"I think so too," North stated.

"Let's do it," Tooth added.

Sandy nodded his head.

And with that Bunny, Tooth and Sandy stood in front of North and Jack. They clapped their hands to get the other spirits attention. They all turned to the Guardians; their eyes were full of anticipation for the new Guardian. The Guardian of Hope spoke first.

"Everyone, thank ya for coming here on such short notice," Bunny stated. "I know that normally we don't meet together like this unless it's for something important."

The Guardian of Memories spoke next.

"And this is one of those times," she said. "Today we come together to celebrate a year of a new life, and not just any new life. The life of the newest and future Guardian."

Then it was the Guardian of Dreams turn. A big sand image of Jack appeared over Sandy's head and he nodded in agreement. He then switched the images to resemble of all the spirits in the room. It was his way of saying thank you to them for coming here and for celebrating Jack's birthday with them.

North was still behind the other Guardians; he was hidden from the view of the other spirits along with Jack. The Guardian of Wonder spoke next.

"Now without further ado we would like to introduce you all to the next Guardian," North said.

The other Guardians stepped aside and allowed North and Jack to pass through. A series of gasps spread throughout the room as Jack's figure came out of the shadows and into the light.

"This is Jack Frost!" North exclaimed.

All of the spirits were in awe over how beautiful the child was. Skin and hair as white and pale as snow, eyes as blue as the sky and a smile that could melt the hearts of many. They couldn't believe that such a young child was going to hold so much power one day and have the position of being a Guardian. Not surprisingly it was Mother Nature who spoke first.

"So this is the child who will one day become a Guardian," she stated. "He's a winter spirit is he not?"

"Yes he is Mother Nature," Tooth answered.

"He looks like one," Mother Nature added. "That means that he will fall under my domain, just by looking at him I can see that he has great potential."

All the Guardians nodded their heads, the Pooka took a step toward the woman of nature.

"And we hope that you will teach him some things as well, you and your winter spirits," Bunnymund said.

Mother Nature looked at the Guardians and then looked back at Jack. Jack looked at her with a curious expression but he smiled, he even reached out to her.

"Momma!" Jack cheered.

The Guardians weren't surprised that Jack did that, Jack's vocabulary was still limited and therefore he addressed certain people as such. The males in his life were "Dadda" while the females were "Momma." Mother Nature was certainly surprised as were the other spirits. But technically Jack wasn't wrong either, after all she was Mother Nature.

"Sorry Mother Nature," North said. "To Jack all women are 'Momma' and all men are 'Dadda' to him. It's how he identifies people he can trust."

Mother Nature listened their explanations and she slowly nodded her head. Jack was still reaching for her, being a mother of all living things she couldn't help but respond to him. She walked over to North and held her hands out to Jack.

"May I?" she asked.

North nodded and slowly and gently handed Jack over to her. Jack let out a small squeal in response and he nuzzled himself into her shoulder. Mother Nature could feel her heart warm over the sudden action, normally it was her animals and attendants that brought her this much joy. But now a small little baby was doing so. It had been a while since she had been around children and now she was finally able to hold one. She caressed his white hair and positioned him to where he was resting on her arm.

"Hello there Jack Frost," she said. "I'm Mother Nature."

"Momma?" Jack questioned.

Mother Nature chuckled a little and she stroked his cheek.

"Yes Jack," she responded. "Momma Nature."

"Momma… nature?" Jack repeated. "Momma Nature!"

Once again Mother Nature and the other spirits looked shocked, but not the Guardians. They were honestly used to it at this point. Instead, they smiled at their little future Guardian.

"Looks like he learned a new word mate," Bunny said. "He's been doing that a lot lately."

"He looks like smart boy," Leprechaun spoke as he walked to Jack.

Mother Nature bent over a little so he could get a better look at him, the green man held a hand out to him and Jack took it. He smiled at Leprechaun and giggled a little.

"Dadda!" Jack cheered.

The Leprechaun smiled and he nodded in approval.

"And he's mighty strong too," he added.

"I bet he is, he looks very healthy," Buckeye Chuck stated. "You guys have been taking very good care of him.

The Guardians looked proud over that fact, they knew that all of them had done their best when it came to Jack's care.

"He'll make a maravilloso winter spirit," Catrina stepped forward to say. "Él es tan lindo también, he's so cute too."

"And he'll make a wonderful Guardian," Plymouth added as he walked over to Mother Nature. "He's so small."

"Just like Baby New Year," Father Time stated. "Isn't that right Baby New Year?"

The little baby in his arms giggled and gurgled a little in response. With that all of the other spirits gathered around Jack and Mother Nature, since she was still holding him in her arms. The Guardians eased up a little once they saw how comfortable Jack was getting around the spirits. Truthfully, Jack had always been a trusting baby. He was a good judge in character despite being so young; it was one of the reasons why he knew that Pitch was no good when he first saw him. When Jack trusted people, he tended to be more open with them, just like how he was going now. It made the Guardians worry disappear and they watched as the spirits started to pass Jack around, they all wanted a chance to hold him and see him.

Jack enjoyed the attention he was receiving from the new people. He had never seen them before but they all looked interesting. Plus he could see that they meant him no harm, their eyes were warm and their embraces were gentle. It was just like his usual caretakers, he knew that he could trust these people. They weren't like that scary man who tried to hurt him a long while ago.

The first hours of Jack's birthday were spent with the spirits; everyone was interacting with him in some way. The winter spirits especially took a shine to Jack. They felt connected and close to Jack due to the fact that he was with same element as them. They felt a personal responsibility to watch over Jack and make that he learned how to control his powers. The small tooth fairies flew around him and squeaked a little as he played with them. The pixies, sprites and other small fairies did the same and Jack was very amused with the colors they created as they flew. Conversations could be heard throughout the Globe Room, not a trace of fear or sadness was in sight. It was a good time to have a party.

Once Jack got to know a little more about the spirits it was time to eat, the yetis went into the kitchen and brought out an assortment of food, it was a feast fit for Jack's first birthday. A meal of many meats, vegetables, breads, soups and fruits was laid out before them along with plates and utensils and cups. Everyone walked over to the table and saw that there were notecards with their names on it. They sat at their assigned seats and waited for Jack and the Guardians. Once they took their seats North picked up a plate started to place a small portion of the food on the plate while Bunny took a bottle of goat milk and placed it on Jack's high chair.

"Here you are Sweet Tooth, you get to have the first taste," the Tooth Fairy stated. "Enjoy."

Sandy nodded his head and a sand image of Jack being fed speared over his head.

"Yes Sandy he can start eating now," North stated. "Have a bite little snowflake."

North placed some meat on the fork and held it out to Jack. Jack wasted no time in eating the food and he smiled over the delicious flavor.

"Looks like he enjoys it," the Pooka said. "Everyone ya take yer portions of the meal now that Jack approves."

Some of the spirits laughed a little over how cute Jack was when it came to eating, they also thought it was cute how the Guardians wanted Jack to take the first taste. They could really see the love the Guardians had for the small child. With that they all started to take their portions of the food before them. Sandy helped the mermaids with their food as he passed plates to them through the portal. They enjoyed the meal as did the other spirits. While they ate they began to talk about their jobs and the current events that were happening. They talked about how the world seemed to be changing and evolving. They had seen it all since the very beginning, they watched as the people changed and how the world changed with them. Being immortal gave them longer life spans but it didn't necessarily mean that they didn't have weaknesses or get hurt and killed. This was one of the reasons why they had to watch their backs when it came to certain spirits, especially the ones that meant them harm.

After they were finished with their meal, Jack was once again taken away by the spirits. Meanwhile, the Guardians were at the table and they were talking with some of the other spirits. They watched as Jack played and interacted with them. Once they were sure that Jack was in good hands they began to talk about their worries to the other spirits. Mother Nature beat them to the punch first.

"I can't believe you kept him away from us for so long," Mother Nature argued.

Tooth chuckled a little over Mother Nature's childish attitude but she understood why she felt that way. Jack was one of those people who could brighten up people's day and make them want to spend time with him.

"We apologize for that Mother Nature," Tooth stated. "We wanted to be sure that Jack was comfortable with us before we introduced him to anyone else."

Mother Nature's expression softened a little. She wasn't angry with them, she was a little jealous. She could understand why they wanted that for Jack but she wished that she could have been there for the first year of his life. Well she supposed that she shouldn't fret over it too much especially when Jack took a likening to her almost immediately and to all the other spirits in the room. But rest assured, now that he was in her life she intended on making the most out of it.

"And then there's the incident that happened when he was first brought here," North added.

That caught the spirits attention.

"What happened?" Leprechaun asked as he took a sip of his drink.

The Guardian of Hope's expression turned dark as he recalled the time Pitch Black broke into the North Pole.

"Pitch Black happened," Bunnymund stated with a serious tone.

All of the spirits stopped what they were doing once they heard the Boogeyman's name. Pan almost lost his grip on Jack too. All of them were wary of Pitch and his powers; they didn't trust him in their domains especially not Mother Nature. Ever since she heard of Pitch's ability to shape shift his fearlings into animals she grew angry and ordered her attendants not to hesitate to get rid of them. She couldn't stand disgraces to nature. Nature was supposed to give life, not take it away. And that's what Pitch wanted to do.

"What has that filthy being done?" Mother Nature asked.

"The last time I saw him he tried to damage the tunnels I made," Buckeye Chuck growled.

"He's nothing but no good," Plymouth stated.

"Él es muy malvado," Catrina agreed. "He's very evil."

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Anyway what were ya saying about Pitch?" Old Man Winter asked.

"Well he tried to take Jack," Tooth said. "We were lucky to get there in time, he almost succeeded."

"Ever since then we've done all that we can to protect Jack, all eyes have been on him," Bunny said.

"If Pitch ever got his hands on Jack… let's just say that it won't be good for the spirit world or for us," North added.

The spirits around the table nodded their heads; they understood why Jack needed protection. But now he could rely on them as well.

"Well rest assured mis amigos," Catrina said. "Usted nos tiene, you have us."

"She's right; you can rely on us for protection and to teach the little tyke some things," Cupid stated as he winked.

All of the Guardians looked like a weight had just been lifted off their shoulders. They were satisfied with that statement.

"Thank you all, you have no idea how much it means to us," Tooth replied.

Sandy nodded his head and an image of Jack appeared on his head. Then more sand images of all the spirits surrounded Jack. He pointed to the images as if to emphasize what he meant.

"That's right Sandy with all of our powers combined we can stop Pitch as much as we can," Bunnymund stated. "And we can protect Jack."

All of the spirits agreed and that made the Guardians very happy and relieved. They all turned their attention to Jack. They were happy to say that their family just got a little bigger now that the other spirits wanted to be a part of Jack's life. They would teach him things just as they would. They now felt more comfortable with Jack being around others. This was a good example. They watched as Jack interacted with the other spirits in the room. When he laughed, they laughed with him, and when he smiled, they shared their smiles with him as well. What more could they ask for at this point?

About an hour or so went by before it was time for the next part of Jack's birthday. North stood up from his seat and clapped his hands. All of the spirits turned to look at him.

"Alright now, it's time for Jack to open birthday presents!" North declared. "And then once that is over we can have cake!"

The spirits cheered at that, they were very excited to see how Jack would react once he saw the gifts he received from them. They all positioned Jack on the floor, next to the table where all of his presents were. Jack's eye widen over the colorful packages, he remembered receiving some not too long ago. When everyone was where they should be, the gift opening started. One by one they were handed to him and every time someone helped him opened them. Most of them were toys and others were necessities such as clothes, blankets and other keepsakes. Jack smiled and laughed as he got new things from the people around him. He was having so much fun right now. It took about an hour to go through all of the presents Jack had, but everyone enjoyed every minute of it. Nothing made them happier than the look of joy on a child's face. With that done North made another declaration.

"Everyone, thank you all for the gifts, I know that our little snowflake loves them," North said.

Jack answered with another giggle as he played with the gifts he had just been given. That was confirmed what North had said.

"Now it's time for cake!" North exclaimed. "Everyone take seats at table while yetis bring out cake and refreshments. Meanwhile, elves and Warrior Eggs will put Jack's gifts in his room."

All of the spirits did as they were told as they took their seat back at the large table. North picked up Jack and sat him in his high chair as the Guardians took their seats next to him. Phil and the other yetis soon came out with the rest of the birthday necessities. Meanwhile, the elves and Warrior Eggs placed the gifts inside Jack's bedroom.

Within minutes, a large cake decorated with light blue and white icing with the words "Happy Birthday Jack Frost" written on it. Snowflake designs decorated the border much to Jack's joy. He clapped his hands as the cake was placed right in front of him. The yetis then refilled the cups of the table and replaced the plates with new clean ones. Once everything was situated the attention was once again placed on Jack. North turned to the spirits and spoke.

"On three we all say 'Happy birthday Jack Frost,'" North stated. "Everyone clear?"

They all nodded their heads as they prepared themselves for the saying.

"One," Bunny said.

"Two," Tooth added.

Sandy formed a three over his head and North shouted it.

"Three!"

"Happy birthday Jack Frost!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

"Jack!" Jack cheered with a giggle.

Tooth placed another kiss on his head and gave him a big hug.

"I don't know how we would go on without you Sweet Tooth," she said.

Bunny then took her from her arms.

"You are a true wonder little ankle biter, our little wonder," he stated.

Sandy was then given Jack. Shapes of Jack and him and the Guardians appeared over his head. It was his way of saying that their life has become so much better with him there. And then it was North's turn to hold Jack.

"Thank you for being born Jack, you truly are Guardian," North stated.

The yetis then cut up the cake and served the pieces to the guests. It was mint and chocolate flavored, Jack's favorite. Jack ate his cake with a smile on his face as he enjoyed his favorite flavors. The rest of the guests enjoyed the treat as well, even the mermaids. While they ate their cake they talked amongst each other once again. This time they were talking about how much they enjoyed this party and how they should do it again on Jack's second birthday. It seemed like this was going to be a thing now, all of the spirits definitely wanted to spend Jack's birthday with them. They also wanted him to become more familiar with their holidays and seasons and weather as he got older. The Guardians all promised them that they would allow this and they were happy with that knowledge. They couldn't wait for Jack to grow up and to be spend many more years with him; it was like the Guardians' hopes for Jack. They all talked and ate in peace.

They didn't even realize that they were not alone.

Unbeknownst the party attendants, a certain dark figure was watching over them. Pitch Black hid in the shadows with his fearlings beside him. A look of pure rage was on his face as he watched the birthday celebration. He hated the joy on the spirits faces and he hated the cause of that joy. Even without his powers Jack Frost was a force to be reckoned with. But what made him even angrier was the fact that he now had to worry about more enemies protecting Jack. This would make his job even more difficult than it already was. He turned to the source of Jack's birth and care and he glared at it. He glared at the moon and made a declaration.

"You can't protect him forever!" Pitch growled. "This has only made me more determined to take him from you and this world! I will not stop until that boy succumbs to the darkness!"

With that Pitch disappeared along with his fearlings, they retreated back to their hideout. The Man in the Moon choose not to call attention to this, he didn't want to ruin the moment between the spirits and Jack. He knew that Pitch would be true to his promise sometime in the future, but now was not the time. He would only hope that Jack and the Guardians and the rest of the spirits would be ready for that. for the rest of the night, the Man in the Moon kept watch over the birthday celebration until the spirits started to leave and return to their domains. He even closed the portal the mermaids were using to communicate in order for them to get their rest as well.

"Bye bye!" Jack squealed.

"Goodbye everyone!" North stated as the guests left.

"Thank you for coming!" Tooth exclaimed.

"Come back again when the time is right!" Bunny added.

Sand images of various parties appeared over the Sandman's head and a big smile appeared on his face.

"Yes Sandy, there will be many more parties in the future," North said. "But right now our little snowflake needs his rest."

"I agree, this was a crazy and fun day," Bunny replied.

"Mostly fun though," Tooth added.

Sandy nodded in agreement and gave them a thumbs up. And now the yetis and elves were cleaning up as the Guardians made their way to North's room. Phil the yeti knew to follow them as they did so. Once they were in the room North gently and slowly placed the one year old inside the cradle. All of the Guardians gathered around the future Guardian. Looks of love were once again on their faces. They couldn't even begin to describe the love they felt for the little boy. It had only been a year since he'd been with them but it already felt like a lifetime. A good lifetime. Just when they were about to say their goodnights a light shined above them. They all looked to see that the moon was peeking through the window. They all smiled at the sight of the Man in the Moon.

"Man in Moon!" North exclaimed.

"Hello there," Tooth said.

"Good to see ya," Bunny added.

Sandy nodded his head in agreement.

"Moon!" Jack squealed as he clapped.

The Man in the Moon smiled and then he told them his intentions for doing this.

"You wish to give Jack a gift?" North questioned as he took Jack out of the cradle in order to properly see the moon

"A gift?" the other Guardians asked in unison.

The Man in the Moon told them yes and he used his power to create the gift he was going to give to Jack. It was one he had been in the process of creating since the day Jack was born; he was just waiting for the right moment to show it. And so the Man in the Moon created and revealed his gift to Jack. The little boy stared with wide eyes as the stars in the sky started to take different shapes. One of them looked like a man and the other looked like a small boy, they were new constellations. Jack remembered that the mermaids had taught him about them and how they told stories. He liked the story these two were telling, he could see real love between the two and the man and boy played together before stopping in place. They were holding hands as they did so.

The Guardians were in awe over what the Man in the Moon created. And then he whispered the constellations names to them. Immediately they all smiled and they held back the urge to cry. What the Man in the Moon had just done was very meaningful and they knew that Jack understood what it meant. He reached out for the constellations and smiled.

"Dadda," he said. "Jack."

"That's right little snowflake, that's for you," North stated.

"And never forget it," Bunnymund said.

With that North placed little Jack back inside the cradle. Now that the Man in the Moon revealed his gift it was time for Jack to rest. They said their goodnights to their little light, the source of their happiness.

"Goodnight little snowflake," North said.

"Goodnight Sweet Tooth," Tooth stated.

"Goodnight little ankle biter," Bunny added.

Sandy allowed an image of a sleeping Jack to appear and he nodded his head so his dreamsand could spread over Jack. Within seconds the little boy was asleep and the Guardians helped tuck in him as his eyes closed. Once they were done they all placed a gentle kiss on his head. Jack smiled in his sleep and with that they were satisfied. They slowly left the room, leaving Phil in charge of watching over Jack. They also knew that there was someone else watching over him, therefore they had no reason to be worried. Jack was safe, now and forever. They would make sure of that.

Once again the Man in the Moon was watching. He watched as Jack was put to bed by the Guardians and how he slept peacefully with Phil watching over him.

Now that the celebration was over, the Man in the Moon turned his attention to another person who deserved as much attention as Jack. He was watching over her right now. He wanted to share his gift for Jack to her because he knew that it would make her happy as well. He called forth his cloud wolves and sent them to their destination.

Meanwhile, somewhere in a small town known as Burgess, Lynn Overland was walking to the same lake where her lover died and where she was forced to give up her son. A smile was on her face as she walked through the snow and her heart was warm despite the cold temperature. She finally reached the place and she got down on her knees. She then took out the charm she was given for Christmas and she held as she folded her hands together.

"Happy birthday my son," she whispered. "Wherever you are right now, I hope you're happy and safe… and having a good first birthday."

She paused for a minute as her heart filled with sadness. She wasn't sad that her son was still alive somewhere but rather she was sad because she wasn't able to be there for the first year of his life.

"Words cannot begin to describe how sorry I am for not being there with you for your birthday and for the first year of your life. But that doesn't change the love I have for you, please wherever you are live a good and happy life. Never forget about the love me and your father have for you. Even though he didn't know about you I know that he would have loved you just as much as I do."

She paused again as she recalled her lover, Jackson. He was the true love of her life and despite his death she still held a special place in her heart for him. She was still a long way away of forgiving her husband and father though. Despite knowing that her son was safe, she just couldn't bring herself to love or be around them. Whatever she did nowadays it always revolved around herself, she isolated herself away from the village as well. She didn't care about being alone, it was nothing compared to the pain she felt when she lost her love and when she was force to give up her child. But as long as she had her precious secrets and the memories of her lover and son then she would be fine. She would live for them, not for her father, her husband or her town.

"Happy birthday Jack… happy birthday Jack Frost," she stated as she held the charm over her heart. "I love you."

With that Lynn stood up from the snow and started to head back to her home. Just as she was about to take another step forward she was stopped when she heard a familiar growl. She turned around to see that it was the same wolves that greeted her just after she gave up her child. But this time she wasn't afraid of them. She knew that they were a sign and so she stood her ground.

"Yes?" she questioned as she smoothed the tangles in her brown hair. "Is there something you want?"

The wolves just growled some more and titled their heads to the sky. Without a second to spare she looked up and what she saw warmed her heart. In the sky were two new constellations that she had never seen before in her life. The stars aligned to form to figures, a man and a boy. Then the stars aligned to spell out the name of the constellations.

The father and the son. Those were their names, tears leaked out of her eyes but she smiled over that fact. She gently fell to her knees and cried tears of joy.

"Thank you," she whispered. "My belief is even stronger now than it was before… thank you."

She cried some more before she wiped the tears away. She also straightened out her appearance before making her way back home, along the way she still clutched the charm she had been given. She was grateful for the strange magic that was in this world, it was the same magic that saved her son and immortalized her love and child in the stars. How could she not be happy over that? And so, Lynn Overland went to sleep peacefully that day and she was given dreams about those constellations. She hoped that one day she would get to join them.

And that was how the first year of Jack's life was celebrated.

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 21**

 **I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or The Guardians of Childhood or any of its characters**

 **Hi everyone! I hope you're having a good day; I just want y'all to know that I have created a GoFundMe page for a close friend of my family because she is in danger of losing her house. Also if anyone has a social media account please don't hesitate to share this with your friends.**

 **Please take the time to check out the page, any donation would help. Thank you all and God bless.**

 **It's called "Help Me Save My Home"- Guadalupe Perez**

 **Enjoy the new chapter!**

 _No_

The Guardians knew that, despite being immortal and a future Guardian, Jack was just like any other child. There was no way they could deny that, and they could prove it too. They were quickly beginning to notice how Jack was going through the phases of a normal child. And they seemed to be at their first phase, the "no" phase.

Jack seemed to be saying no to everything and anything, he even used the word when he wanted something or when he accepted something. North and Tooth found it amusing, Sandy was indifferent due to the fact that he knew that it was just a phase, but Bunny on the other hand couldn't help but be a little annoyed. He loved the little Guardian as much as the others but he knew that this was more than just a phase. A deep part of him knew that this was a part of Jack's mischievous side. The little boy loved attention and he saw this as a way to get it.

Bunny supposed that it was natural since he had seen other children go through such a phase but he never thought that he would be at the receiving end of it. He wondered just how long it would last.

It was Bunnymund's turn to watch over the little boy and so there they were. They were at Bunny's Warren and Jack was playing with the butterflies that flew around the gardens of flowers. The little boy giggled as the butterflies would land on his face and hands. He was careful though, he made sure not to hurt the little ones. Bunny was watching as the little Guardian played with the flying insects.

The Guardian of Hope decided to take some time off today so he wasn't painting or making any designs. He just wanted to watch Jack today, especially when he was going through such a phase. Even though it annoyed him a little, he still couldn't deny that the boy was cute whenever he did so. Maybe Jack's way of getting attention was working since Bunny now wanted to watch him instead of working while doing so.

The Pooka stood beside the future Guardian as he held the butterflies on his fingers. Some of the flying insects were landing on him as well. The butterflies weren't like other butterflies; their designs were more intricate and detailed. Their wings looked like something Bunnymund had designed himself. As Jack played, a curious thought came to Bunny. He wondered something.

"Jack," he addressed.

The little baby turned to the Pooka with a puzzled look on his face but it quickly turned into a mischievous one.

"No," Jack said.

Bunny snorted and rolled his eyes. Very well, he would play along for now. He wanted to see how far Jack would take this little game.

"What, ya ain't Jack anymore?"

Jack smiled and shook his head.

"No," Jack replied.

The Pooka chuckled a little before turning his attention back to the little boy.

"So what are ya?"

"No," Jack responded.

"Yer a no?" Bunny questioned.

Jack giggled once Bunny asked that, he knew what he was saying. Jack slowly allowed the butterflies to go back to the gardens as he gave the Guardian of Hope his full attention. He gave him his answer as well.

"No," Jack stated.

Bunny saw how serious the child was and he leaned closer to him. He had other questions he could ask the boy at this point. Even though he already knew what the answers would be he couldn't help but ask them either way.

"Are ya a yeti?"

"No."

"Are ya a Pooka?"

"No."

"Are ya a fairy?"

"No."

"Are ya a mermaid?"

"No."

"Are ya a Cossack?"

"No."

Despite already knowing what the answers would be, the Guardian of Hope couldn't help but be amused by them. He also laughed some more. Leave it to Jack to turn a simple thing into a game, one where he was determined to have the last word. Bunny wondered if he was picking up the habit from North, the Cossack had a habit of doing this as well and normally he won… much to Bunny's annoyance. That was when he chose to switch the topic of the questions. A sly look spread across Bunny's face as he thought about the next questions.

"Do ya like Christmas?"

"No," Jack simply responded.

"Is Christmas better than Easter?"

"No."

"Does North work harder than me?"

"No."

These questions made Bunny laugh some more, he felt as if he had a first victory over North when it came to this subject. But he had a feeling North especially took advantage of this; he had noticed how smug the Guardian of Wonder had been around him lately. He wondered if North had asked Jack similar questions when it came to holidays and him in general. Nevertheless, he changed the topic of the questions once again.

"Do ya like cookies?"

"No."

"Do ya like snow?"

"No."

"Do ya like toys?"

"No."

"Do ya like naps?"

"No."

Bunny looked amused, he wondered if the other Guardians did something similar to this now that Jack was going through the "no" phase. He knew that Tooth probably couldn't stop cooing and awing over the little boy every time he gave her his predictable answer. The Guardian of Memories did all that she could to spoil and fawn over Jack, this was no different. Sandy just let it slide due to the fact that the Guardian of Dreams didn't talk using actual words. But that didn't mean that Sandy wasn't as amused as the other two when it came to this. Sandy had told them times where Jack would just point to things and say no for no reason at all. The Pooka shook his head and he recalled that. He turned his attention back to Jack and opened his arms out to him.

Jack saw the action made by the Pooka and he wasted no time in entering his soft and warm embrace. Jack giggled a little as he did so. He always like it when his caretakers cuddled with him, it made him feel accepted and he could feel their love as they did so. Even though he was still so young Jack could differentiate between the embraces his family gave him. North's was firm yet gentle, Bunny's was soft and warm, Tooth's was delicate yet soothing and Sandy's was relaxing and lulling. He liked them all and he enjoyed their embraces whenever they gave it to him. As Jack was secure in Bunny's arms he placed his face against the soft fur and he felt the warmth radiating from it. He could also hear the comforting sounds of Bunny's heartbeat. A contented look was on Jack's face as he did so.

The Pooka held onto Jack as the little boy nuzzled into his fur. Bunny saw the gentle look on Jack's face and he couldn't help but gaze at it lovingly. Even though the boy had celebrated his first birthday not too long ago, he still looked so young and small. But Bunny remembered how small he was when he first arrived to them. Back then Jack could be cradled perfectly in their arms, but now he was beginning to sit up in their arms while occasionally lying down on them. It was a subtle reminder that Jack was growing up. It was hard to believe that the little life before him wouldn't be so little forever. He would age and one day he would have the same position as him and the other Guardians. He would be right beside them as they fought to protect the children while doing their jobs. And speaking of children, he wondered if Jack's age would affect how he saw the world around him.

To be honest, there was another reason why Bunny didn't want to admit that Jack was going through a phase. If Jack was going through a phase such as this then that means that he was really growing up. Even though he knew he had to accept that and even though he knew that this was Jack's destiny, at the same time it was still hard letting go of the little Jack they had now. How much would he change? Would he grow up like other children did? Normally when a child grew up they would lose all interest and passion they had from the past, they became teenagers and adults. They stopped believing in the magic the world around them contained. They lost all the innocence they had as a child, and it never ceased to break the hearts of the Guardians. Bunny was worried that the same thing would happen to Jack when he grew up. Would he lose sight of the world around him? Would he choose not to celebrate or interact with them as time went on? Would Pitch be able to corrupt him if this happened? There were so many questions he had about Jack's future and about him growing up. But he didn't have the answer to any of them.

What Bunny didn't realize was as he was worrying about the future; a certain someone had been paying attention to his actions. Jack noticed how stiff and worried his caretaker looked now. He cooed and titled in his head in confusion, he wondered why the Guardian of Hope was suddenly acting like this. Whatever the reason was, Jack couldn't help but grow concerned for him. He cooed some more as he reached out to the Pooka. He gently placed a small hand on Bunny's nose.

"Kangaroo Dadda?" Jack said.

That snapped the Guardian of Hope out of his thoughts as he heard that. Despite being a year old now, the Pooka could hear the worry in Jack's tone. There was concern in his voice; the little boy was worried about him. Jack always found ways to show his concern for his loved ones, this was no different. That was when Bunny's eyes widen as he suddenly had that epiphany. With that he felt his worries melt away, Jack's simple action was all that it took to convince him that his concerns were for nothing. Jack was still Jack, this proved it. The little boy who liked to cause trouble, have fun and make others happy was still there. And he would always be there no matter how old he got.

He should have known better, he allowed his paranoia and worries to get to him. Maybe it was just a sign of showing how much he cared for the boy and maybe it was all a part of being a family. A part of him didn't want Jack to grow up but then another part of him wanted Jack to succeed and become the person he was meant to be. However, in the end he just wanted Jack to be happy and healthy. No matter what, even if he did grow up, the Pooka would always be by Jack's side. He made a promise to the Man in the Moon and to Jack and his previous family, and he intended to keep it. He knew that there would be many challenges down the road as Jack grew up but he felt confident that all of them would overcome them… together. He nuzzled his face against the little boy's and then he held him high in the air.

Jack giggled a little as the Guardian of Hope did so; a smile was on Bunny's face. The little boy was happy to see that his caretaker was happy now. He had been worried that Bunny was sad but his actions were proving otherwise. What Jack didn't realize that it was because of him that Bunny was happy now. That was when Bunny spoke.

"Yer not to change are ya little ankle biter?" Bunny asked.

Jack looked at the Pooka with a big smile now on his face; it was as if he understood what the Guardian of Hope was asking him. He replied with only one response.

"No."

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Guardians for a Family Chapter 22**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, here's a new chapter! Enjoy XD**

 _Running Around… Butt Naked_

Lunch time, Jack's favorite part of the day. Well, any time where he got to eat was his favorite time of the day. It was a time where he could get into all sorts of mischief and get away with it, for the most part. Eating could be a lot like playing, he would mess around with the shapes of the food or sometimes fool his caretakers into thinking that he didn't like it or the food would decorate his face and body. Either way, he had a lot of fun when he ate.

And today was one of those days where the food ended up on Jack rather than in his mouth. Milk and mashed sweet potatoes, peas and mangoes decorated Jack as he used the spoon to scoop up the food. Jack was already old enough to use utensils on his own, North made sure that they weren't too sharp or heavy for the little Guardian. Jack laughed as he smashed the food all over the place. But not even his bib could have protected his clothes from this.

And Jack wasn't alone in this venture, he had an audience at the moment.

North stirred his hot chocolate as he watched Jack make a mess of himself. He chuckled a little every time a new part of food was added to Jack. He was amused by the baby's actions, he knew that the other Guardians would have disagreed with his reaction. Bunny was a meticulous Pooka, Tooth was a neat and tidy fairy, and Sandy was indifferent to it all since it was difficult to get dirty when you're made out of sand. But North, the old Cossack, enjoyed the thrills of having the freedom to express oneself. That's how he was like when he was younger, back when the Guardian of Wonder was still human and when he lived a life much different than the one he had today. Back then he was the opposite of friendly and giving, instead he took anything that wasn't tied down, and even then he would find some way to untie it.

He was a thief, an outlaw. He went by a different name at that time too, back then he was Nicholas St. North. He had changed his name after he turned over a new leave, he had a chance to start over. He was given a chance to give, rather than take. He saw it as an opportunity to leave all the evil behind and become good. And now he was just North, plain and simple. He smiled at the memories as he stared at Jack.

All the Guardians had their own stories. North hoped to one day share his with the little boy, he wanted to show Jack that even the impossible was possible. He was sure that all of the Guardians would one day tell Jack how they came to be, just as they would one day tell him how he came to be. He always thought that he would take as a hated outlaw, but instead he was reborn as a Guardian. He took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"I was free spirit back then Jack," North commented.

Jack stopped eating once he heard his caretaker talk, he stared at him with his beautiful blue eyes. North placed his hot chocolate down and picked up a cookie from the tray that had been provided to him. He took a quick bite of the treat before returning to his story.

"I was young and foolish at time, but I was filled with adventure too. Before I was Guardian, I knew that there was more to world than others thought. I could never prove it, but I knew. I could see the wonder even back then," North added and then he stared straight into Jack's eyes. "Just how I can see it now, and I can see that you're just filled with wonder."

"Dadda North?" Jack questioned as he titled his head.

North laughed at Jack's expression and he ruffled the little boy's white hair. Jack giggled at the sign of affection. That was a new thing Jack had been doing lately. As his vocabulary expanded, so did the titles he had for his caretakers. He had been more specific about the men in his life, he started calling them another name with the "Dadda" title. The only exception was Tooth at the moment, but the Guardians had a feeling that would change as he became more acquainted with the other spirits. But for now, they indulged in Jack's endearing titles.

"And you'll do great things one day," "You were meant to be Guardian."

Jack pointed to himself as North said that.

"Gar-gar-guar-dian?" Jack stuttered. "Jack gar-guar-dian?"

North smiled and ruffled his hair some more, he nodded at the small baby.

"That's right Jack, you Guardian. And one day you'll find out what your center is, just like the rest of us did. I can't wait for that little snowflake."

After several seconds Jack giggled and smiled at the Cossack, he clapped his hands happily. As a result, some of the food landed on his clothes and on North. But this didn't bother the Guardian of Wonder, instead he let out a hearty laugh.

"That's my boy!" North exclaimed and he gestured to the leftover bits of Jack's meal. "Now finish your lunch, you need to eat to become a strong boy. Strong enough to take down any enemy! Just like me!"

Jack didn't seem to be bothered by this idea as he proudly waved his hands in the air, he then returned to eating his meal. North even gave him a small part of a cookie, he broke it up into little pieces so Jack could eat it easily. Minutes went by before he was finally finished, he drank the last portion of his milk before looking content. That was when North stood from his seat and picked up the small baby. He didn't mind the stains on Jack's clothes or on his face and hands.

"Alright Jack," North started. "Let's get you ready for your bath time."

A big smile appeared on Jack's face, he loved bath. Once again, it was a time to play and have fun… and get into a lot of mischief. The future Guardian was looking forward to it. North carried the little boy to the close washroom in his workshop, there were multiple washrooms but this one was big enough for Jack and North. North looked the control buttons in the room, each of them had a function when it came to water control. He pushed several of the buttons, the tub immediately filled up with water. It was the right temperature too. North made sure that it wasn't that high, that way he didn't have to worry about Jack getting hurt in anyway. He set Jack down and gently stripped the dirty clothes off Jack. He tossed them aside into the hamper, he made a note to clean them later. And he delicately set Jack into the tub.

The little boy laughed and smiled as he entered the water, he slashed around. That was when North took out a small box and dumped its contents into the water, they were bath toys. Jack's favorites, the little Guardian didn't hesitate to take them into his hands. He giggle some more and made babyish sounds as he used the toys to splash the water.

"Dadda North!" he squealed. "Water! Play toy!"

"Yes Jack, water is fun to play with," North responded. "It's also good for cleaning."

That was when North pulled out a small bowl and scooped up some of the water. He then gently poured the water over Jack, he made sure that it didn't get into his eyes. Jack didn't mind as he relished in the presence of the clean liquid. North repeated the process until the Jack's white hair was soaking wet. Jack continued to play with his toys as North took out a bottle of shampoo along with a brush. He poured some the contents into his hand and started to ruffle it into Jack's hair. He was careful that the substance wouldn't get into Jack's eyes. The shampoo started to turn into foam and suds. Jack let out a contented sigh as he felt North's large hands gently massage his head. This didn't go unnoticed by North.

"You like that little snowflake?"

Jack did a small nod and that was when North poured some more shampoo on a wash cloth. He then started to clean Jack's skin with it, this made the little boy giggle at the ticklish sensations. More foam and suds appeared on Jack. North made sure to get all the excess food and particles off Jack, especially on his face and hands. Once the Cossack was sure that he was clean he scooped some more water into the bowl. He poured it over Jack's hair while covering his face, he repeated the process until the shampoo was rinsing out.

Several minutes later, Jack was clean from the messy food along with the foam. North picked up the hairbrush and started to comb Jack's hair so that the tangles would disappear. He then took Jack out of the tub and released the water into the pipes, he also put away the bottle, toys and brush. He patted Jack down with a dry and large towel, the little boy laughed and danced around as North did so.

"There we go, good as new," North stated. "Now for the clothes."

With that North turned around and looked into the drawers of the sink. There were fresh baby clothes in every washroom at North's workshop. It made it easier for anyone who was looking after Jack, especially when the boy proved to love mess. However, North didn't realize that he made an error in turning his back to Jack. The little boy was standing on his sturdy legs, butt naked. He could feel the coolness of the air hit his drying skin. And that was when Jack noticed something, the door to the washroom was wide open. His blue eyes widen in surprised and then he turned his attention back to North. He noticed that the Guardian of Wonder still had his back turned to him. That was when a mischievous smiled appeared across his face.

He couldn't help but want to have fun. Right now! Using his legs he stepped out of the washroom, not caring that he was still butt naked. And that was when North turned back around.

"Alright Jack let's get you-"

Jack was gone, he was there and now he was gone. Immediately North's thoughts shifted to the worst possible situation. Pitch Black, had he finally sneaked back into his workshop? Did he finally get his hands on Jack? North felt his heart pound quickly as he opened the washroom door and called for the lost baby.

"Jack!"

As soon as he stepped outside he heard laughter, Jack's laughter. That relieved the fear a little, and soon he looked to fund Jack standing in the middle of the hallway. A big smile was on his face and he was waving at North. North let out a huge sigh of relief, for a moment there he feared that Jack was gone. After a few seconds of breathing in and out, North regained his composure and stared at Jack.

"Oh Jack, little snowflake, why must you give this Guardian such a heart attack?" he asked. "And why must you find ways to cause mischief."

Jack just simply giggled and clapped his small hands.

"Mischief!" Jack exclaimed. "Mischief! Jack mischief!"

North comically shook his head and smiled at the little boy. He really was like him back in his youth, although he must admit that Jack seemed to be more of a handful than he was. The future Guardian was so young and yet he was aware that he was causing mayhem. Not even North was this young when he displayed his rebellious side. Now North understood why Bunny was so worried about Jack's teenage years. Nevertheless, he had to get Jack into some clothes.

"Alright little snowflake, that's enough fun for one day. Let's get some clothes on you."

Once Jack heard that he rapidly shook his head and quickly took off in the opposite direction. His little legs carried him as quickly as he could go, which was surprisingly fast. This surprised and shocked North at the same time, apparently Jack had learned something else today. Jack could run. That was new. And North had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy to catch the little mischief maker. But he also couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Jack Frost, future Guardian, was running around butt naked.

"Jack!" North yelled. "Come back here you little troublemaker!"

With that North took off after the spirited little boy. All he could hear was Jack's laughter as he ran away from the Guardian of Wonder. North laughed but he had to catch up to the future Guardian. Was surprised to see how fast Jack could run, especially when he hadn't done so before. This was the first time Jack was using his legs for something other than walking and crawling. North couldn't help but wonder if this was something more than Jack learning a new trick or growing up. But he didn't have time to think about it as Jack turned around a corner.

Meanwhile, what North didn't know was that he had a surprise guest at his workshop. It was Bunny with a basket filled with multiple jars filled with pureed vegetables and fruits. He had decided to drop back the workshop in order to deliver the fresh produce from his garden, Jack always stayed with North for a week longer so he wanted to be sure that he had enough food. Especially when the boy had a growing appetite and had a habit of playing with his food. But that was when he got the surprise of his life as he heard yelling and laughing. Then all of the sudden he spotted Jack! And he was naked!

"Jack!" Bunny exclaimed.

The Pooka was so surprised that he actually dropped the basket he was carrying. Thankfully none of the jars spilled out or broke. Jack saw the large rabbit and decided to have some fun with him as well. He squealed and laughed as he dived under the Pooka's legs. Bunny turned his head around but that proved to be a mistake as North collided into him. The two Guardians let out a grunt as they fell to the floor.

"Bunny!" North exclaimed.

"North!" Bunny said. "What in heavens name is going on?"

North picked himself off the Pooka as Bunny stood up.

"Jack learned to run," North simply stated. "And I just got done giving him bath, that why he naked."

Bunny let out a groan and pinched the crook between his eyes.

"Only Jack would do something like that," he commented.

That was when the two Guardians heard more laughter, they turned around to see Jack standing far away from them. He had a look of triumph on his face as he stood proudly. The Pooka crossed his arms and thumped his foot a little, North just smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh ya think you've won eh little ankle biter?" Bunny questioned. "Well think again."

With that the Pooka took off after the small Guardian, North followed his lead. Jack could see the two heading for him, he decided that he needed to up the ante a little. He had to escape! He giggled as he choose to give the two Guardians a slip by running around in circles. North and Bunnymund tried to corner him at every turn but Jack's small size gave him an advantage. He was able to slip pass them with every turn. It wasn't long before the two Guardians started to tire out as they ran.

"He's only a baby, how is he so fast?" Bunnymund asked.

"I think he's been hanging around you for too long, he see you jumping and hopping all over the place!" North stated. "Now he's doing same."

The Pooka glared and scoffed at the insult, but he keep chasing the little naked Guardian.

"That's a load of rotten eggs ya old Cossack!" Bunny exclaimed. "He acts out because of you! Yer a bad influence on him!"

North looked just as insulted as he tried to corner Jack, but the little boy simply ducked and kept running. As he chased, he argued with the Guardian of Hope.

"I give him freedom!" he argued. "You're too uptight!"

"You mean I'm responsible!" Bunny said. "Yer a Guardian and yet you act like a child!"

That was when the two once again collided with each other, they hadn't been paying attention as Jack slipped between them. The Guardians let out a groan as Jack laughed and stood away from them. He waited for them to make their next move. The Guardian of Hope and Wonder picked themselves off the ground once again. They realized the fault in their actions and had to focus on what they were trying to do.

"W-we settle argument later," North panted.

"A-agreed," Bunny said in a tired tone. "I suggest we call the others though, they might be of assistance."

North nodded, and he used the aurora borealis to call for Tooth and Sandy. Within seconds Sandy was there and he looked confused to what the trouble is. North and Bunny explained the situation to them, Sandy silently laughed before turning serious. Shapes of the yetis and elves appeared over his head and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Because yetis are too big and tall, they might accidently step on him, and elves too dumb and small to even know what we're doing," North replied.

Sandy listened and he couldn't help but agree, it would be better if they were the ones to catch Jack. He saw that Jack was just standing at the corner, he looked like he was waiting for something… or someone. At moment Sandy realized that this was a part of Jack's plan. He wanted attention for his caretakers, even if it meant getting into trouble to do so. Sandy rolled his eyes and gave the small Guardian a smile. Jack smiled back and waved to him as well.

Sandy turned to Jack's direction and waved his finger back and forth. Jack titled his head and gave the Sandman an innocent look. It was as if he was saying that he didn't do anything wrong, Sandy knew that little boy all too well to know that. That was when Sandy summoned a small ball of dreamsand and prepared himself. Jack saw this gesture and he couldn't help but flinch a little, he knew what Sandy used his sand for. And he didn't want to go to sleep now. He gave the sandman a devious smile as he readied himself as well. Sandy then threw the sand ball but Jack started to run once again. He had to improvise, and quickly. Sandy summoned more dreamsand and flew upward to catch the little boy off guard as the other two Guardians started to chase him again. Sandy aimed and tried to hit Jack but the little boy was giving him the slip as well.

Jack laughed as he dodged everything and everyone that came at him, this was too much fun for him. He didn't want it to end now, especially not after all the hard work he was doing at the moment. At this point he forgot he was naked as he continued to run, it almost looked like he as flying but his feet were still on the ground. He felt so light at the moment, he didn't want it to end.

And that was when another guest decided to join the party, it was Tooth. The Tooth Fairy appeared alone, she had left her helpers back in her realm due to the unplanned call. Before she could say anything, she saw the scene before her. She saw that North and Bunny were running on the ground while Sandy was in the air throwing his dreamsand. And at the center of it all was the little naked Guardian she knew as Jack Frost.

North almost caught Jack but he tripped and landed on the floor, that was when the Guardian of Wonder saw the Guardian of Memories. He saw that Jack was running to her, she could catch him! He called to his fellow Guardian.

"Tooth!" North shouted. "Catch him!"

That caught her attention as she saw the little naked Guardian running toward her direction. She was surprised but her surprise quickly turned to glee. She always loved to see her favorite little boy, she flew down to the floor and held her arms open wide. A big smile was on her face as well as a loving expression.

"Jack!"

Jack's blue eyes widen as he saw his favorite Tooth Fairy, he mimicked her actions by opening his arms to her.

"Momma!"

Sure enough Jack ran into her arms. Tooth giggled with glee as she hugged the little boy tightly, she paid no attention to the fact that he was naked. Jack's chubby arms wrapped around Tooth's feathered neck and he laughed. Finally, the nightmare was over. The three male Guardians let out a sigh of relief as they relaxed.

That was when they walked over to the Guardian of Memories, Jack was still in her arms and he was soaking up all of her attention. Tooth saw her fellow Guardians and turned to them with a puzzled look on her face.

"What was all this craziness about?" she asked.

Without saying anything all three Guardians pointed to Jack for the answer. North then spoke.

"He learned run," North stated as he wipe the sweat away from his forehead. "I give him bath and then he gets idea to run around butt naked."

Tooth giggled a little at that reply and she couldn't help but smile too.

"Where does he get these ideas?" Tooth asked with a slight shake of her head.

That was when the argument between the Pooka and Cossack began once again.

"From North."

"From Bunny."

They gave each other a glare while Sandy just shook his head and got closer to Tooth and Jack. He could hear Jack making cooing noises as he nuzzled into her neck. His eyes were closed and his breathing was evening out. Sandy knew that these were the signs of a well-deserved nap, especially after all the energy the little boy had used. He flew upward and brushed the boy's bangs a little, that was when he sprinkled some dreamsand over him. Jack smiled as he felt the small particles gently hit him. Sandy gave a slight nod as he flew downward.

"Thanks Sandy," Tooth said. "I'm sure he could use a nap after all this."

"He's not only one," North commented. "Little snowflake almost give me heart attack and then he runs around like a yeti that missed deadline."

The Guardian of Dreams gave another silent laugh but then a sand image of Jack appeared over his head. The image was of him running and then a question mark was formed. He looked to his fellow Guardians for answers, Tooth couldn't help but wonder that as well especially when she just got here.

"I was wondering that too," she stated. "Jack's only a little over a year old and he's running as if he's a toddler… or a child."

North and Bunny looked at each other before turning their attention back to Tooth and Sandy. Jack was oblivious to the conversation as he rested peacefully in Tooth's warm embrace.

"I noticed too," North responded. "When he started running I thought about it for second. At first I thought that it was of his growing up, but I knew that there was more. Being the Guardian of Wonder allows me to see these things. I don't think this is just him growing up."

"I have to agree with ya mate," Bunnymund said. "The Man in the Moon said that Jack would age like any other child until he reached sixteen. But this isn't normal behavior or an average one year old or a child a little over a year old."

North looked at the sleeping Jack and reached out to caress his hair, the future Guardian leaned into his touch. A worried look appeared on North's face as he remembered another important thing the Man in the Moon said about Jack. It was something he took to heart after all this time. Deep down he knew that he couldn't deny what this was.

"But Man in Moon also say that Jack would acquire his powers when he is two," North added.

That sudden realization hit the other Guardians like a ton of rocks. They found themselves remembering the first time they met Jack, back when he was still just a little newborn. They recalled the promises the Man in the Moon had made to them about Jack. They did remember that promise. Tooth gazed down at the little boy in her arms.

"And he's already a little over a year old now," Tooth commented.

"Soon it will be two years," Bunny added. "He'll be two years old… and he will get his powers."

Sandy nodded his head as he formed the shape of Pitch Black and Jack. He knew that it wasn't an easy topic to talk about but it had to be brought up.

"We know Sandy," North responded. "After Jack gets powers, Pitch will want him even more. And knowing him he will stop at nothing to do so."

The Guardians all nodded as they worried for the sleeping child. That was when Bunny regained his composure as he remembered a silver lining in this situation.

"Maybe we now is the time to have the other spirits look after him, they did promise to protect him. Maybe we should hold them to that promise now," Bunny said.

"That's a good idea," Tooth replied. "I saw we should have Mother Nature look after him first, at least for a day. That way we can see how Jack responds to her and her helpers.

"Agreed," North said.

Sandy nodded and gave them a thumbs up. It was settled, they would contact Mother Nature and alert her of their plan. They were sure that she would be more than happy to take care of Jack for a day. With that they felt more at ease about the matter, that was when a mischievous smile appeared on Sandy's face. He created a sand image of Tooth and Jack. North and Bunny were surprised by the statement but they laughed and shook their heads.

"No Sandy, Tooth is not Jack bait," North commented.

Tooth smiled and gave the sandman a playful glare.

"I don't mind being this little cuties bait," Tooth said with glee. "Anything to hold him and give him all the hugs and kisses he deserves."

To prove her point she placed several kisses on the sleeping boy's head and hugged him tighter. The Pooka crossed his arms and rolled his eyes a little.

"You soil him too much Tooth," Bunny said.

Tooth glared at the Pooka and she dismissed the notion with her free hand.

"Says the Guardian who gives Jack chocolate every now and again."

At that statement Bunny looked like a deer caught in a bright light. He had been caught. Tooth gave him a playful glare and pointed to him.

"That's right, I know what your little secret Bunnymund," she commented. "I know that despite your rants about North being irresponsible that you give Jack some chocolate."

"Hey!" Bunny agreed. "It's only every once and a while, I'm not like North. The man practically eats cookies every day, I don't do that with the little ankle biter."

North chuckled as did Sandy. That was when Tooth turned her attention to the Cossack, she pointed at him.

"You too North," Tooth added. "Don't think you're innocent in this equation, I know that you sneak Jack a cookie once a while."

North just shrugged and looked nonchalant.

"What can I say, little snowflake love sweets. He is child after all," North commented. "I want him to be a child while he still can, before he grows up and accepts place among us."

Tooth eased up on the lecturing as a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"I know," she responded. "We have to give him the childhood he deserves, the childhood that his parents weren't able to provide to him. All the more reason to protect him, not just for ourselves but for them too."

The Guardians agreed and that was when they remembered that Jack was still naked and sleeping. North motioned for the others to follow him.

"Come, we get Jack settled for nap. But first he needs clothes," he stated.

"And that reminds me," Bunny started as he walked to the area where he dropped his basket. "I came here to give ya some more pureed foods North, I'll send some to Mother Nature too. I'm sure she appreciate the hard work I put into these foods."

"I'm sure she will," Tooth said. "Now let's put this little Sweet Tooth into his crib.

With that the Guardians went into North's bedroom and helped him get Jack ready. They dressed him in clean and new clothes and made him crib before placing him inside. They gazed at the sleeping child, they knew that he couldn't stay younger forever. They knew that one day he would have abilities of his own, the thought scared them a little but they had to remember that was his destiny. He was meant to bring joy to the word, just like he had been doing for them. They had to share Jack with the children of the world. How could they not be happy about that? They were proud of him, now and forever.

And forever was a long time, a long time for them to be a family. After all, what do you expect when you have Guardians for a family?

 **Please review and leave comments, thank you for your time.**


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